An online petition calling for LeBron James to replace Betsy DeVos as U.S. secretary of education has received more than 9,000 signatures in a campaign of staggering hypotheticals, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. The digital effort’s authors make no secret of their bias.
The petition has obviously spun out of the news about the I Promise school opened in Ohio on July 30 by the self-proclaimed “King” of basketball, fanned by flames of the to-and-fro following President Donald Trump’s recent remarks about James’ intelligence.
The petition poses a hypothetical situation in which the public is in charge of hiring a new U.S. secretary of education and they can pick between two candidates – the sports legend James or DeVos.
Referencing his new I Promise school in Akron, the petition lists James as the first candidate.
“A highly respected and extremely influential community advocate and activist,” it says, going on to describe the school as offering at-risk children “with community services on-site like job placement for parents, guaranteed college tuition for every student who graduates, and a score of other student services like a free bicycle and helmet.”
The petition lists DeVos as the second candidate, with references to previous statements that arming teachers “should be an option for states and communities to consider” and her decision to scrap Obama-era guidance on investigating campus sexual assault.
Describing DeVos as a “scandal-ridden Republican donor,” the petition says “we are stuck with an uncaring Education Chief who has fought against teachers and has even expressed disdain for the very department she heads.”
The petition calls for public support to help get James named as head of the nation’s education, glossing over the enormous hypothetical that Trump would have to name him.
“He's shown he cares about America's youth and understands the power of public education in helping children meet their true potential,” the petition sayd about James.
Not everyone was applauding James educational endeavors.
Bleacher Report recently noted that his school could eventually cost taxpayers about $8 million per year.
“The coverage made it look like the whole thing is his,” said Mark Williamson, spokesman for Akron Public Schools district. “He did a lot, but taxpayers should know it's their investment, too.”
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