The Washington Post reported Tuesday morning that education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos may have plagiarzed an Obama administration official in her written responses to senators questions.
There might be smoke here, but there’s no fire.
DeVos wrote in one answer, “Every child deserves to attend school in a safe, supportive environment where they can learn, thrive, and grow.”
Vanita Gupta, who was head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division under former President Barack Obama, wrote in a May 2016 release “Every child deserves to attend school in a safe, supportive environment that allows them to thrive and grow.”
Is that really plagiarism? No. Phrasing like that is a fairly standard talking point in the education policy world. It’s one of those noncontroversial vague statements that anyone might say.
The New York Foundling Child Abuse Prevention Program says on its website, “CAPP believes that every child should receive their basic right to safety so that they can have the opportunity to grow and thrive.”
Let’s Grow Kids says on its website, “Police officers play an important role in ensuring that each child is growing up in a safe environment where she/he can learn and thrive.”
In another supposedly plagiarized answer, DeVos said, “Every student deserves to attend school in a safe, supportive environment where they can learn, achieve and thrive and are not discriminated against. Period.”
In a magazine for teachers published by ACSD, an article said, “You — as an educator and an ally — can dramatically shift the school climate to one that is safe, supportive, and inclusive: a place where all students can learn, achieve, and thrive.” Those two statements aren’t even that close. Again, it’s standard boilerplate language in the education world.
In other answers, DeVos gave answers that mirrored verbatim what a certain law or the Education Department website says.
Is that really so bad?
In a hearing Tuesday, Democrats tried to argue DeVos hasn’t promised to uphold various laws. It should be a point in her favor that she’s directly referencing the law and Education Department policies.
Yes, DeVos should have added, “As the law says, …” or “As the department’s official policy reads, …” But copy and pasting the law, and saying that it’s something you’ll do as secretary, isn’t worth making a fuss over.
Jason Russell is the contributors editor for the Washington Examiner.
