Despite owning her own plane — unlike former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price — and saving the government a few bucks, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has made her impact in other devastating ways like cutting her department’s budget and rolling back protections for scammed students, sexual assault victims, transgender students, and disabled students, to name a few. In another questionable decision, Devos appeared at a White House Halloween dressed as Ms. Frizzle, the the magic teacher from educational TV show The Magic School Bus.
The original episodes of The Magic School Bus aired on PBS — President Trump aimed to defund public broadcasting — and were about a fourth-grade teacher (at a public school, naturally) who takes her students on adventures where various concepts like sound or the circulatory system were explained in creative ways in order make them more easily understood. It’s educational programming that was so educational that private broadcast and cable networks routinely aired the show in order to fulfill mandates to air educational programming.
From what the public knows about Devos’ policies, the costume of Ms. Frizzle doesn’t seem to fit — especially when there are more apropos fictional educators out there. Some Twitter users also noticed the disparity between the character of Ms. Frizzle and DeVos.
https://twitter.com/GMPaiella/status/925360549638103040
Betsy DeVos, our children’s worst nightmare, dressed up as Ms. Frizzle for Halloween. This is what we can’t have nice things, y’all. pic.twitter.com/BesRmzyX7s
— Nick Laparra (@NickLaparra) October 31, 2017
https://twitter.com/s_bomm/status/925375297461129216
Betsy DeVos dressing up as Ms. Frizzle is the most disrespectful thing I've ever seen. Someone snatch her wig, she doesn't deserve it. pic.twitter.com/8Dc6HJrJli
— Lydia Hey Soul (she/her) (@lydiaheysoul) October 31, 2017
Here’s hoping that this costume is aspirational, and maybe DeVos and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao are preparing to unveil a surprise collaboration.