Betsy DeVos was the choice for Education Secretary.  This was because she is not fit for the job.

DeVos benefited from Mike Pence breaking the 50-50 tie.  The close call will not be instructive for her.  She will now proceed with her task of destroying public education.

We know this to be the case because her life's passion is not only to promote religious education, but to force taxpayers to foot the bill, regardless of their conscience rights not to support religious philosophies not of their choosing.  (Read Jefferson's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.)  Think this doesn't pertain to you as a Christian?  Voucher schemes in various places are already steering funding to Muslim schools.  If the funds are available, these schools cannot be turned down-- that would be religious discrimination.  They need to raise their own money.  As do Christian schools.

Private religious and charter schools are not and will not be held to account the way public schools are.  Moreover, the real "choice" in education lies with them, not with parents-- they're free to reject any student for any reason (racism, handicapped status, or just being dumb.)  Every student they help exit the public schools will drain that much more funding from them, funding they need.

Look to DeVos's native Michigan to see the future of education.  Detroit is riddled with unaccountable charter schools that perform worse than the much-derided public schools-- as is typical of charters-- even though they can cherrypick their students.  DeVos's efforts helped bring about this sorry state of affairs, in part from her lavish donations to Republicans (including four members of the Senate committee that okayed her!  How lucky the current boss has proven conflict of interest illusory. Note also that she gave $55,800 to Senator Toomey.)

Context is important here.  There has been a concerted effort for years to destroy public education, a campaign based on badmouthing and deception.  This is the product of a threefold alliance:  radical anti-government types who don't think the government-- even local-- should be in the business of education to begin with; greedy for-profit entities who can't wait to get their paws on piles of education funds; and religious fanatics who seek to indoctrinate, not educate, a captive market.

Betsy DeVos is of the latter two.  Her financial interests include firms devoted to for-profit education ( what once was deemed conflict), and her un-American and anti-democratic belief in using government to "advance the Kingdom" beings us closer to Taliban-style theocracy, only Calvinist.  Her utter inexperience in public education makes her unqualified.  Her life's aim of destroying it is why she got the job.

Sincerely,

Stephen Van Eck

Rushville, PA