The U.S. Senate is scheduled to confirm President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the country’s next Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, in Washington next week amidst criticisms and a PR overhaul from firms representing America’s next head of national education.
The Senate education committee will meet Jan. 11 to hold a confirmation hearing on DeVos, who Trump selected to take the helm of the U.S. Department of Education in November.
Trump piled on the praise for DeVos when he made the announcement, calling her a “brilliant and passionate education advocate.”
"Under her leadership we will reform the US education system and break the bureaucracy that is holding our children back so that we can deliver world-class education and school choice to all families,” Trump said.
Despite receiving support from Trump, Republicans and many school choice advocates, DeVos’ path isn’t entirely clear.
Senate Democrats have already planned 30 hours of debate over eight nominees in the Trump administration, DeVos included.
Democrats are likely to question DeVos’ education experience since she has never actually worked as an educator nor has she held public office. A billionaire and Republican power donor, DeVos’ has been a strong advocate of school choice programs, especially in her home state of Michigan.
That support for school choice programs could prove to be a problem for DeVos. The issue is incredibly divisive, especially among political parties. Teachers, too, have come out in full force against school choice policies, saying it’s a detriment to public education.
Teachers planned protests nationwide opposing DeVos’ nomination, taking to social media to voice their concerns.
Educators said they found DeVos’ nomination troubling since she has never walked in their shoes or had any first-hand experience in public education. DeVos’ children also did not attend public schools.
“Trump stated that she is ‘a brilliant and passionate education advocate’, but her brand of passion is not that of preserving and protecting public education,” wrote a protest group from St. Petersburg. “She has never attended a public school nor have her children. She has never worked in or for a public school, but has worked actively against them.”
DeVos herself has enlisted the help of public relations firms in Washington to make her case. For weeks, conservative group America Rising Squared has blasted out press releases building up the case for DeVos.
Emails from the group primarily focus on what they say is an “outpouring of support” for Trump’s pick.
An email sent Wednesday included various quotes from minority groups and school choice advocates who say DeVos is the right choice to lead the country in a positive direction.
“Mrs. DeVos is one of the strongest advocates in the nation for providing low-income Latino families with the same rights to attend better performing schools,” said Julio Fuentes, President & CEO Of The Hispanic Council For Reform & Educational Opportunities. “Mrs. DeVos correctly believes that every child should have access to great teachers and schools, regardless of their race, ethnicity or zip codes. For the past 28 years, she has been on the front lines fighting for greater opportunities for at-risk children.”
DeVos will face questions about more issues than school choice. Democrats have said they’ll also press her on expanding early childhood education, college affordability and student debt.
DeVos’ confirmation is scheduled for 10 a.m. next Wednesday.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
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