Gasman: No, Secretary DeVos, professors don’t tell students what to think

In an open letter in The Washington Post to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Marybeth Gasman disputed DeVos’s claim that college professors are telling students what to think.

College professors teach students how to think critically and ask hard questions, Gasman writes. That sometimes means challenging professors.

“We encourage students to read widely — even material with which they vehemently disagree — so that they make informed decisions and conclusions,” Gasman explains in her letter.

“I have been a professor for 17 years and, during this time, I have changed my mind on issues when presented with convincing evidence, many times. Often this new evidence has come to me from my students. Teaching is a back and forth, and one of the beauties of being a professor is that you have the opportunity to learn on a continual basis.”

Read Gasman’s full piece here.