Online Petition Seeks To Replace Education Secretary Betsy DeVos With LeBron James
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/CNN) – A new petition is circulating online which seeks to replace Education Secretary Betsy DeVos with NBA superstar LeBron James.
The Care 2 Petition was posted on Tuesday and was quickly closing in on its goal of 9,000 signatures by Thursday morning.
The petition is critical of DeVos, calling her, "a scandal-ridden Republican donor who shows an inexcusable dislike for public education, wants to gut protections for women and minorities, and has advocated for teachers to be armed in schools."
It goes on to admit that replacing DeVos with James is unlikely.
"I know that's it's unlikely that Lebron James would give up his highly successful career — especially since he has been generous enough to use that influence to be an inspirational community and youth advocate for millions."
James recently opened the "I Promise" school to 240 at-risk third- and fourth-graders.
The school, a project of the LeBron James Family Foundation and Akron Public Schools, provides students with a slew of perks.
According to James, students will receive:
- Free tuition
- Free uniforms
- Free breakfast, lunch and snacks
- Free transportation within 2 miles
- A free bicycle and helmet
- Access to a food pantry for their family
- Guaranteed tuition for all graduates to the University of Akron
What's more, parents of students will receive access to job placement services and help acquiring their GEDs.
The school's curriculum was crafted with the help of Akron County educators, who say they've long seen their students underperforming in the classroom. There will be a focus on hands-on STEM education, with an emphasis on developing problem-solving skills, according to the foundation website.
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