No group was more appalled by Donald Trump’s daily bullying of opponents and critics than Democrats. While scads of Independents and Republicans were troubled and even spoke out about Trump’s cruelty-laden rhetoric, Democrats were essentially united in their conviction that Donald Trump was evil incarnate. And had no chance of winning.
Then he won.
Now, the very same people who rightfully couldn’t abide the bullying have taken to using a much-watered-down version of the same tactic in the election’s aftermath—publicly shaming anyone in their own party who even considers working for the Trump administration.
Democrats for Education Reform is an organization I have always respected and admired. The same goes for their CEO, Shavar Jeffries. He is a bold champion for kids even when it means standing up to the most powerful and vocal members of his own party. I tip my hat to him and to the work his organization is trying to do. God knows he’s got an uphill climb in a party in which union money and influence are unmatched.
But Jeffries’s recent official statement on behalf of DFER, in my view, resorted to shaming any Democrat who would consider accepting the appointment of Secretary of Education. In the first paragraph, he writes:
It is, generally speaking, an honor for any person of any political persuasion to be asked by the President of the United States to consider a Cabinet-level appointment, but in the case of President-elect Trump, DFER encourages no Democrat to accept an appointment to serve as Secretary of Education in this new administration. In so doing, that individual would become an agent for an agenda that both contradicts progressive values and threatens grave harm to our nation’s most vulnerable kids.
Yes, Republican Betsy DeVos has since been appointed to the position, but Jeffries’s letter still matters. There are more than one hundred positions to be filled in the Department of Education and four thousand total within the administration. There’s is no reason why progressives, if asked, can’t give it their best shot in a Trump White House and bring the fight for justice and high quality education within earshot of the President and his closest advisors. Talk about an opportunity to make Teddy Roosevelt proud and step directly into the arena.
Yet the DFER statement seems to imply that the best strategy is to step back and let the administration spend the next four years without a single, inside voice from the opposing party. It’s not. We’re talking about protecting and educating children, and that’s an unnecessarily reckless course of action—inaction, really. It may serve adults well as they wrestle with their moral compasses, protect their reputations, and plan for 2020, but it doesn’t serve kids.
Danielle Drezner writes in the Washington Post about this same dilemma facing #NeverTrump Republicans. The article focuses more on national security, but the principle can be applied to all high-priority work happening within the executive branch.
Some of the finest examples of public service are the unheralded moments, the times when a staffer shoots down a really, really stupid idea that powerful hacks are advocating. It’s not the glamorous part of any policy portfolio, but it is vital to avoid worst-case national security scenarios.
Michelle Rhee, former D.C. Chancellor, who appeared to be in contention for the Education Secretary position and met with the President-elect in New York, seems to agree. She didn’t mince words in her response to those pressuring any and all Democrats to refuse any offers to work for the Trump administration.
In light of the speculation about the Secretary of Education role, I wanted to clarify my position and what's best for America's students. pic.twitter.com/DXRZxdAZNX
— Michelle Rhee (@MichelleRhee) November 22, 2016
Progressives usually pride themselves on their commitment to never staying silent in the face of racism or injustice and speaking truth to power. There’s hardly a better way to accomplish this than to work alongside the new leader of the free world—a man about whom you may have serious concerns, disagreements, and even fears.
It’s clear that President-elect Trump lacks a strong grasp of K–12 policy. Democrats should want to step into a role in which they could help him consider different ideas, initiatives, or policies that could lead to better outcomes for students and more quality options from which parents could choose. Even if he were to go in a different direction, those people would always know they did everything they could to help our kids.
Leaders don’t disappear when things take a bad turn. They stand up stronger than before and continue to lead and to fight.
I know I’d feel better knowing there were people like Shavar Jefferies in the White House.
