Arne Duncan, an education secretary during the Obama administration, condemned Betsy DeVos' leadership of the Education Department on Sunday, comparing the Trump administration's approach to education to her family's $40 million yacht after it was set adrift last week in Ohio.
"You probably saw the news, for me it's just a crazy metaphor, about a week ago her yacht was found adrift, a $40 million yacht just out there. And for me that represents where they are in terms of education policy: there isn't one," Duncan said during an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation."
The yacht, named the Seaquest, was vandalized and set adrift last weekend while moored at Lake Erie's Huron Boat Basin in northern Ohio.
Duncan, who is promoting his book "How Schools Work" ahead of its release on Tuesday, also used the opportunity to defend his record while in the top job and accused DeVos of not knowing the difference between proficiency and growth when assessing student performance.
"I feel a huge sense of urgency. We have to get better faster, as a nation, we're not top 10 in anything," he said.
Former Education Sec. @arneduncan on state of education in America: I feel a huge sense of urgency. We have to get better faster, as a nation, we're not top ten in anything. pic.twitter.com/DxDWBScOJV
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) August 5, 2018
Duncan was education secretary from 2009 to 2015, having been appointed to the position by former President Barack Obama.