This week, , February 7th, Betsy DeVos was confirmed by the Senate (and the Vice President). The vote was 51-50.

I’ll waste no time, I don’t like her. After watching the Senate hearing about her nomination, with each Senator finding a new issue to whack her with, I don’t like her.

Politico’s bio of Secretary DeVos includes:

• Chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party
• Member of the Republican National Committee
• Considered to become head of Republican National Committee
• Directed a statewide ballot campaign to “legalize public funding of religious schools”
• Volunteered for Gerald Ford’s presidential campaign.

There are so many issues with Secretary DeVos, SO MANY. I highly recommend that anyone interested watch the hearing. The full video is available here, at a short three and a half hours. For bite sized pieces of losing your hope in public education, try a traipse through YouTube, Senators publish their questioning periods, so they’re all available for you. I recommend Sen. Maggie Hassan, Sen. “Bernie” Sanders Sen. Al Franken, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. However, each Senator is well worth hearing.

I have two main issues with Betsy DeVos: her strong denominational ties, and her clearly anti-public education stance.

I have no issue with Devos’s devotion (see what i did there?), I grew up in a religious family, amongst religious families, and I’ve participated in an interfaith activity for the past 4 years. DeVos however, according to Politico and the NY Times, wants Church to be the center of communities, and sees public schools as a threat. She sees school choice as a way to “reverse that troubling trend”. I like my public school. I like my ability to be a minority without my religion being cast into a harsh, constant light. That’s what public school does, each student has the same right to the same education.

I have little issue with school choice. There are places where students would have a better future if given that choice. But school choice should not be an excuse to be rid of public schools, it ought to be one of many tools to help the next generation.

1. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/01/betsy-dick-devos-family-amway-michigan-politics-religion-214631

2. http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/betsy-devos-education-trump-religion-232150

3. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/opinion/betsy-devos-and-gods-plan-for-schools.html