Betsy DeVos Education Secretary Confirmation Hearing

If confirmed, she would become the first secretary of education with zero experience with public schools.

Asked bluntly by Sen.

Ann Duplessis, president of the Louisiana Federation for Children, which is part of DeVos’ group, said the nominee “has really dedicated her life, and her money, to working with underserved minority students, kids”. “I take that as not being willing to commit to not privatize public schools”, said the senator.

She explained that charter schools do not “get paid” until their doors are open, even though most expenses – the building, hiring teachers and other costs – must be covered up front.

“I guess I wouldn’t characterize it in that way”, DeVos said.

In advance of today’s confirmation hearings for Betsy DeVos, the nominee for Secretary of Education, defenders of the status quo have been spinning a narrative about her reform efforts in Detroit that runs contrary to all available evidence. Her and her husband, Amway heir Dick DeVos, started a local investment management firm called Windquest Group in Grand Rapids.

“Where conflicts are identified, they will be resolved”. Lamar Alexander, but Alexander stuck to his program, citing similar limits in previous hearings. Multiple Democratic members said they’d never heard of such a rule.

But charter school advocates say DeVos has been improving education for all students with her push for school choice, something they hope to see more of from the Education Department under President-elect Donald Trump and DeVos.

DeVos is a huge believer in “school choice“, the idea of allowing public education funds to follow students to whatever institutions (e.g. charter schools or private schools) their parents want. Supporters say such programs would force schools to be competitive, fostering an environment that would create educational innovation as well as offer parents more choices when it comes to their children’s education.

DeVos’ experience and support for vouchers fits in well with Trump’s plan to take $20 billion in federal education funds and use the money for vouchers for students in poverty. Elizabeth Warren, DeVos admitted groping as described by Trump on the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape would count as sexual assault if it occurred on campus. The reality is she’s going into a large bureaucracy. “I believe she’s on the mainstream of public opinion and her critics are not”.

The national civil rights activists were especially concerned that the work of the department’s Office of Civil Rights, which over the past several years has exposed discriminatory discipline practices and other barometers of unequal treatment of students in schools across the country, would be halted.

Casey quickly turned to Twitter to voice his reaction to DeVos’s answers.

“She has championed providing a world-class education to every child, no matter their ZIP code or socioeconomic status”, Stephen Waguespack, president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, said in a letter dated January 9 to the committee.

“You wouldn’t go to a doctor that has no degree in medicine, you wouldn’t have your auto fixed by someone who isn’t a mechanic, so I don’t understand why we keep putting people in (charge of) education who have no background in it”. Chris Murphy (D) that guns might have a place in schools because the children of America need protection from grizzly bears.

DeVos replied: “I do think there would be that possibility”.

The nominee is also expected to say not all students should pursue a four-year college education. “So if we can find a voucher program or savings account outside of resources to public education, that’s a very interesting conversation to have”. Top officials at FIRE told BuzzFeed News that they haven’t had substantive conversations with DeVos since her nomination.

“Betsy DeVos is on our children’s side”, he said.