Secretary of Education: Reformer or Unqualified?

Story by: Brianna Rose


The vote for Secretary of Education was determined last Tuesday after Vice President Mike Pence stepped in with a tiebreaker determining Elizabeth "Betsy" DeVos the new Secretary of Education.

Tweet from Senator Al Franken using the #NoOnDeVos

DeVos has been in the forefront of education for most of her life advocating things such as charter
schools.

According to DeVos's twitter biography, she is "passionate about quality education for children and an advocate of school choice."

No matter her educational background and financial background or lack thereof, she hasn't been fortunate enough to gain the trust or support of students, educators, or politicians.

During Devos's confirmation hearing, senators held the floor for twenty-four hours expressing their reasons for voting against her and her lack of experience.

Screenshot of Betsy Devos's website (betsydevos.com)

Senators also joined together on Twitter, hoping to prevent DeVos from being voted into the Secretary of Education position by using the hashtag #NoOnDeVos.

Protestors hit the streets in Washington and blocked the entrance of a school, causing DeVos to turn around.

Some parents and educators fear the push of charter schools from DeVos as she has done in the past. Amory Sellers, a parent from Montevallo High School doesn't think it would be fair.

Sellers said, "I don't think one person can dictate what one child can do as far succeeding in their own lives."