DeVos pledges not to undo public education, pushes choice
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Education Secretary-designate Betsy DeVos testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
WASHINGTON >> In a sometimes contentious confirmation hearing, education secretary pick Betsy DeVos pledged Tuesday not to dismantle public education and said she wasn’t selected for the job simply because of her wealthy family’s generous contributions to the Republican Party.
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, the top Democrat on the Senate Health, Labor, Education and Pension Committee, asked DeVos point blank to pledge that she would not seek to privatize public schools or take money away from them.
DeVos, who has spent more than two decades advocating for charter schools and school choice, promised to work to address “the needs of all parents and students.”
Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., a former education secretary, expressed confidence that DeVos is an “excellent” choice for the job. “She is on the side of our children,” he said.
But as other Republicans praised President-elect Donald Trump’s pick, Democrats grilled her on a range of issues from child care to students with disabilities and making public colleges and universities tuition-free.
Asked outright by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont if she got the job because of her family’s political contributions, DeVos said: “As a matter of fact I do think that there would be that possibility. I have worked very hard on behalf of parents and children for the last almost 30 years.”
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On tuition-free public colleges and universities, DeVos said: “I think we also have to consider the fact that there is nothing in life that is truly free. Somebody is going to pay for it.”
She skirted Sanders’ question on whether she would support making child care free or much more affordable for low-income families as is the case in many countries around the world, saying only that she feels strongly about “parents having an opportunities for child care for their children.”
“But it’s not a question of opportunity,” Sanders fired back, raising his voice. “It’s a question of being able to afford it!”
Responding to fierce criticism from teachers unions that she is working against public education, DeVos told the committee that she will be “a strong advocate for great public schools.”
“But,” she added, “if a school is troubled, or unsafe, or not a good fit for a child — perhaps they have a special need that is going unmet — we should support a parent’s right to enroll their child in a high-quality alternative.”
Murray said she was “extremely disappointed” that DeVos has not yet finalized her financial and ethics disclosures ahead of the hearing. She also asked whether DeVos will divest herself of any family business enterprises that may represent a conflict of interest in her job, including one student loan refinancing company.
“Where conflicts are identified, they will be resolved. I will not be conflicted. Period,” DeVos said.
DeVos, 59, also said she will seek to address rising higher education costs and massive student debt, but also advance trade and vocational schools as well as community colleges because “craftsmanship is not a fallback — but a noble pursuit.”
Another priority for DeVos will be weakening “burdensome” federal regulations and giving local communities greater control over education policies.
“President-elect Trump and I know it won’t be Washington, D.C., that unlocks our nation’s potential, nor a bigger bureaucracy, tougher mandates or a federal agency,” DeVos said. “The answer is local control and listening to parents, students and teachers.”
DeVos, the wife of Dick DeVos, the heir to the Amway marketing fortune, has spent more than two decades advocating for charter schools in her home state of Michigan, as well as promoting conservative religious values.
In a letter addressed to the committee, 38 prominent education groups and teachers’ organizations expressed concern that DeVos’ track record bodes ill for public education.
“Over the course of her career as a major campaign contributor, soft-money donor and lobbyist, DeVos has used her considerable wealth to influence legislation and the outcomes of elections to advance policies that have undermined public education and proved harmful to many of our most vulnerable students,” the letter said.
LGBT groups also have protested Trump’s choice of DeVos, saying she has funded conservative religious groups that promote what they consider to be traditional family values, including one organization that supports conversion therapy — counseling of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people with the aim of changing their sexual orientation.
In an apparent response to that criticism, DeVos said in her statement, “Every child in America deserves to be in a safe environment that is free from discrimination.”
DeVos supporters, meanwhile, applauded her nomination. Eva Moskowitz, CEO of Success Academy Charter Schools, said that American public education “is in deep crisis,” with 35 countries outranking American schools in math and 20 in reading.
“I believe Betsy DeVos has the talent, commitment and leadership capacity to revitalize our public schools and deliver the promise of opportunity that excellent education provides, and I support her nomination as U.S. secretary of education,” Moskowitz said in a statement.
18 responses to “DeVos pledges not to undo public education, pushes choice”
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Most mainland public schools have been a complete failure in the last 30 years. Not because of the teachers but because of the changing demographics where most of the students are illegals and anchor babies. You just can’t teach S_T_U_P_I_D from quasi-communist 3rd world countries anything when the only thing they have on their mind is having a Fiesta and idolizing Gangsta-Rap stars whom promote criminal activity as productive citizens of society. LOL
huh?
Hey Dragon! You’re a celebrity. One of your posts was quoted in the article on trolls in this morning’s Civil Beat.
Thanks…I guess! LOL
You claim to be an expert on mainland public schools. Most people would say you don’t know what you are talking about.
Mr Mililani, never claimed to be an expert as you’ve labeled me. Just posting my observations. Care to dispute my observations please share your expert theory why public schools have been a failure.
Here is just one of my sources, you feel my observations were incorrect feel free to throw yours in . (HTTP links in titles)
1. HOW THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM HAS FAILED BLACK AND HISPANIC STUDENTS
Agree 100% with your observations DragoninWater.
Many years ago a Japanese businessman told his peers not to underestimate the U.S. in commerce.
His peers were rejoicing because of the difference between Japanese student’s test scores vs U.S. test scores.
His comments said eliminate the scores of Blacks and Hispanics and U.S. test scores would be equal-to or even greater-than Japan’s.
He was condemned and called a “racist”… for telling the truth !
“most of the students are illegals and anchor babies.” This is just plain not true. The majority of our students are not illegals/anchor babies.
The symbiotic relation between teacher unions and democrat politicians has driven public schools into the ground. Generations of children have been stuck in failing schools that resemble prisons. If you try to improve the situation you are savaged by the usual left wing groups.
BINGO!
Perfect article further detailing your point: HOW THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM HAS FAILED BLACK AND HISPANIC STUDENTS
IRT CEI, yes, Ms DeVos will be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Let’s move on.
@ kuroiwaj
I second that!
Thirds here. Don’t listen to the Democrackpots.
There will be many, the majority I think, who will not have the means to choose private or alternative schools. So, what IS her plan to IMPROVE public schools? Or is it “too bad for you” if you cannot afford to go elsewhere? Even if you allow parents to have their children attend a good “free” public school without a GE like, say, Kalani, the school can only take so many students without reaching capacity. And even at that, if the school gets TOO large, quality will likely go down. Parents already have a choice. It’s a matter of whether or not they can afford the alternative.
Under the choice models, vouchers from the govt. would be given to parents for private schools. This may mean less money for failing schools with low enrollment.
Sorry “dtpro”. You say it MAY mean less money. Of course, it will mean less money for public schools. The religious schools will get the money and the public schools are out of luck. Throwing money at those public schools that are not performing isn’t the answer either. But, giving less money to public schools will cause more harm than good.
Many poor families could get a voucher for a private school but they don’t have the money to pay the difference between the voucher amount and the cost of the actual amount due the school. Needless to say, the voucher system only favors wealthier families. Wish I knew the answer but I doubt if vouchers are the right way to go.
Will the private schools waive their academic requirements for the parents wanting to use the vouchers to put their kids in private schools? Will private schools take special education students? How about smart kids who could test in but have serious behavior issues? In most cases the answer is no. I think it’s more than a money issue. Private schools just won’t take the voucher money based on other issues.
When she came out w/her line about needing guns in schools because of the threat of grizzly bears I laughed so hard I fell out of my chair and haven’t been able to take anything else she said seriously. My brother in Colorado has had bears come into his *house* and that didn’t make him buy any guns. (the bears got in because he didn’t close the garage door) He said the safest thing to do when you see a bear in the yard is…shut the door.