Betsy DeVos Nomination Approved

[Tekate]

A big thanks to all teachers. I was in the classroom for many years before changing careers and know how hard you work.
Is your major concern that she will institute school choice? If so, what are your worries about that?

School choice ruins communities. Student A goes to the local elementary school, student B to Compass School, student C to UT elementary at University of Texas, none of these kids play school sports together, eat lunch together, field trips, so as time goes on it degrades relationships in the neighborhood.

https://www.brookings.edu/research/on-negative-effects-of-vouchers/

I think charter schools were thought up by rich people to destroy teacher unions personally.

 

[partgypsy]

Someone was asking why public education was so bad, therefore DeVos is the solution? I don't know if you are aware that the national PTA (parents teacher association) as well as state's PTA are against her nomination. We are talking about the people MOST concerned for our children's education, what the teachers and involved parents of school-aged children have to say.
Here is a link. As she is from Michigan, Michigan added this additional text:

"Betsy DeVos is a Michigander, so the Michigan PTA adds this additional commentary “Over the past 25 years, Michigan’s Public Education has been slowly and intentionally dismantled and sold to the highest bidder. This has resulted in the creation of significant inequalities and unnecessary obstacles including, but not limited to: 1) the proposal and defeat of a voucher system (twice), 2) charter school expansion with little accountability, and no transparency, 3) detrimental cuts in school funding, 4) bankrupting or near-bankrupt­ing school districts, 5) expansion of the Achievement Gap, 6) unpreparedness to enter career and lack of college readiness.”

We join these organizations in advocating for fiscal responsibility regarding public tax dollars for public education, providing “fair and equitable education for all students in this country, and assigning funds and programs to make public schools stronger and safer, rather than creating an unnecessary, ineffective, for-profit alternative that weakens the educational options for all.”

https://prpta.org/2017/01/13/advocacy-alert-pr-pta-joins-nea-national-and-state-pta-opposing-secy-of-ed-pick/

 

[Tekate]

The result of DeVos' detrimental effect is that people in our country will be dumber for generations to come. The US is on the path of decline in so many ways and at a rapid pace.

Went into a grocery store the other day. Made a purchase. The cash register was not working properly, so it could not tell the cashier the correct change to give back to me.

She could not figure it out and I had to help her - a high school student. And this has happened quite a few times.

Many colleges have a so called 13th grade to help many catch up to where they should be.

Look at the test scores in English and Math.

SAT scores at lowest level in 10 years. Just google it.

So much for the quality of our public schools NOW.


Many have become so dependent on auto correct that when they have to manually fill out a job application they cannot correctly spell half the words.

well Ruby, this is one of the big reasons why:

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/08/property-taxes-and-unequal-schools/497333/

 

[Tekate]

duplicate. sorry.

 

[the_mother_thing]

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/08/property-taxes-and-unequal-schools/497333/

A quick read over this article & the referenced lawsuit appears to support the position that decisions about education should be made by the states, and the Federal government should get out of it.

 

[Tekate]

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/08/property-taxes-and-unequal-schools/497333/

A quick read over this article & the referenced lawsuit appears to support the position that decisions about education should be made by the states, and the Federal government should get out of it.

Funding yes, but the point is, more funding better schools, share the money. Devos and her ilk are not going to get any better scores with charter/vouchers.

When we lead matters to the state in all things we end up with inferior education.

 

[ruby59]

The result of DeVos' detrimental effect is that people in our country will be dumber for generations to come. The US is on the path of decline in so many ways and at a rapid pace.

Went into a grocery store the other day. Made a purchase. The cash register was not working properly, so it could not tell the cashier the correct change to give back to me.

She could not figure it out and I had to help her - a high school student. And this has happened quite a few times.

Many colleges have a so called 13th grade to help many catch up to where they should be.

Look at the test scores in English and Math.

SAT scores at lowest level in 10 years. Just google it.

So much for the quality of our public schools NOW.


Many have become so dependent on auto correct that when they have to manually fill out a job application they cannot correctly spell half the words.

well Ruby, this is one of the big reasons why:

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/08/property-taxes-and-unequal-schools/497333/[/quote

_________________________________________________________________________________________


So wouldn't giving parents choice in the way of charter schools be the great equalizer?


I remember when I was young back in the late 1960s early 1970s, my neighborhood was deteriorating fast The public schools were becoming very dangerous. My mother even contemplated putting me in a Catholic school as an alternative.

Luckily my mother was able to work out a payment plan with a Hebrew school across town and I went there until we eventually moved

 

[monarch64]

DeVos breaking news: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/317379-gop-senator-to-vote-no-on-betsy-devos

Repubs are not supporting her nom, MSNBC saying her nom is in "serious jeopardy."

 

[partgypsy]

The result of DeVos' detrimental effect is that people in our country will be dumber for generations to come. The US is on the path of decline in so many ways and at a rapid pace.

Went into a grocery store the other day. Made a purchase. The cash register was not working properly, so it could not tell the cashier the correct change to give back to me.

She could not figure it out and I had to help her - a high school student. And this has happened quite a few times.

Many colleges have a so called 13th grade to help many catch up to where they should be.

Look at the test scores in English and Math.

SAT scores at lowest level in 10 years. Just google it.

So much for the quality of our public schools NOW.


Many have become so dependent on auto correct that when they have to manually fill out a job application they cannot correctly spell half the words.

well Ruby, this is one of the big reasons why:

https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/08/property-taxes-and-unequal-schools/497333/[/quote

_________________________________________________________________________________________


So wouldn't giving parents choice in the way of charter schools be the great equalizer?


I remember when I was young back in the late 1960s early 1970s, my neighborhood was deteriorating fast The public schools were becoming very dangerous. My mother even contemplated putting me in a Catholic school as an alternative.

Luckily my mother was able to work out a payment plan with a Hebrew school across town and I went there until we eventually moved

You have to understand the vast majority of parents do not want charter schools, who are not subject to the same standards and scrunity as public schools, and drain resources away from public education. We want excellent public schools! It is also a question of fairness. If public schools are not supported by federal dollars to the extent that parents feel unsafe having their children go there, then sure, only those of middle class or better situations can flee. It becomes another "separate but equal" situation, which I hope we have learned from the past can never be equal. Public education means education for the public, for all. There will always be options like private school or home schooling for those who choose that, but I do not feel state or Federal dollars should go to that. The dollars should go to public education. I'm from North Carolina, and it has been a long battle between the Republicans in power defunding education, even though the majority of constituents say they do not want that, we want MORE support for public schools. It is very frustrating to feel not listened to as a citizen. Not only does DeVos not have an education background, she has spent her life stating she would like public education to go away. It feels like a personal attack on the future of my children's education.

 

[katharath]

PLEASE call your Republican senators - we have a real shot at getting her denied; 2 Republicans have said they will vote no for her. I live in a swing state, and I called mine! We only need one more R vote to deny her, according to what I'm seeing currently online.

 

[OreoRosies86]

PLEASE call your Republican senators - we have a real shot at getting her denied; 2 Republicans have said they will vote no for her. I live in a swing state, and I called mine! We only need one more R vote to deny her, according to what I'm seeing currently online.

I called yesterday. Fingers crossed!

 

[katharath]

PLEASE call your Republican senators - we have a real shot at getting her denied; 2 Republicans have said they will vote no for her. I live in a swing state, and I called mine! We only need one more R vote to deny her, according to what I'm seeing currently online.

I called yesterday. Fingers crossed!

Thank you, Elliot!!

 

[monarch64]

PLEASE call your Republican senators - we have a real shot at getting her denied; 2 Republicans have said they will vote no for her. I live in a swing state, and I called mine! We only need one more R vote to deny her, according to what I'm seeing currently online.

I have Todd Young's mobile # but I'm not calling him. He's the one to whom Betsy DeVos "donated" $48,000. Pretty sure it's too late.

 

[Calliecake]

PLEASE call your Republican senators - we have a real shot at getting her denied; 2 Republicans have said they will vote no for her. I live in a swing state, and I called mine! We only need one more R vote to deny her, according to what I'm seeing currently online.

I have Todd Young's mobile # but I'm not calling him. He's the one to whom Betsy DeVos "donated" $48,000. Pretty sure it's too late.

I've read there are two Republicans who are going to vote against her. Fingers crossed!

 

[katharath]

PLEASE call your Republican senators - we have a real shot at getting her denied; 2 Republicans have said they will vote no for her. I live in a swing state, and I called mine! We only need one more R vote to deny her, according to what I'm seeing currently online.

I have Todd Young's mobile # but I'm not calling him. He's the one to whom Betsy DeVos "donated" $48,000. Pretty sure it's too late.

I've read there are two Republicans who are going to vote against her. Fingers crossed!

Yep. Murkoswki and Collins, I believe.

Monarch - I agree, I wouldn't waste my time on that call

 

[monarch64]

PLEASE call your Republican senators - we have a real shot at getting her denied; 2 Republicans have said they will vote no for her. I live in a swing state, and I called mine! We only need one more R vote to deny her, according to what I'm seeing currently online.

I have Todd Young's mobile # but I'm not calling him. He's the one to whom Betsy DeVos "donated" $48,000. Pretty sure it's too late.

I've read there are two Republicans who are going to vote against her. Fingers crossed!

Yep. Murkoswki and Collins, I believe.

Monarch - I agree, I wouldn't waste my time on that call

Could I just text "you're a shitbag?"

 

[katharath]

PLEASE call your Republican senators - we have a real shot at getting her denied; 2 Republicans have said they will vote no for her. I live in a swing state, and I called mine! We only need one more R vote to deny her, according to what I'm seeing currently online.

I have Todd Young's mobile # but I'm not calling him. He's the one to whom Betsy DeVos "donated" $48,000. Pretty sure it's too late.

I've read there are two Republicans who are going to vote against her. Fingers crossed!

Yep. Murkoswki and Collins, I believe.

Monarch - I agree, I wouldn't waste my time on that call

Could I just text "you're a shitbag?"

Lol - may I recommend Twitter for getting out those aggressions? I tell Donthecon what I think of him on a daily basis there. I find that it helps my outlook.

 

[lovedogs]

PLEASE call your Republican senators - we have a real shot at getting her denied; 2 Republicans have said they will vote no for her. I live in a swing state, and I called mine! We only need one more R vote to deny her, according to what I'm seeing currently online.

I have Todd Young's mobile # but I'm not calling him. He's the one to whom Betsy DeVos "donated" $48,000. Pretty sure it's too late.

I've read there are two Republicans who are going to vote against her. Fingers crossed!

Yep. Murkoswki and Collins, I believe.

Monarch - I agree, I wouldn't waste my time on that call

Could I just text "you're a shitbag?"

Lol - may I recommend Twitter for getting out those aggressions? I tell Donthecon what I think of him on a daily basis there. I find that it helps my outlook.

Good plan. Maybe I should try that. It'll be a way to get out my anger and make me feel better, and will have the pleasant side effect of adding to the voices of people who hate him (which clearly drives him insane). Fingers crossed that DeVos doesn't get the nomination. I wish I lived in one of the states mentioned and could call, but my call from CA isn't going to be helpful unfortunately.

 

[katharath]

PLEASE call your Republican senators - we have a real shot at getting her denied; 2 Republicans have said they will vote no for her. I live in a swing state, and I called mine! We only need one more R vote to deny her, according to what I'm seeing currently online.

I have Todd Young's mobile # but I'm not calling him. He's the one to whom Betsy DeVos "donated" $48,000. Pretty sure it's too late.

I've read there are two Republicans who are going to vote against her. Fingers crossed!

Yep. Murkoswki and Collins, I believe.

Monarch - I agree, I wouldn't waste my time on that call

Could I just text "you're a shitbag?"

Lol - may I recommend Twitter for getting out those aggressions? I tell Donthecon what I think of him on a daily basis there. I find that it helps my outlook.

Good plan. Maybe I should try that. It'll be a way to get out my anger and make me feel better, and will have the pleasant side effect of adding to the voices of people who hate him (which clearly drives him insane). Fingers crossed that DeVos doesn't get the nomination. I wish I lived in one of the states mentioned and could call, but my call from CA isn't going to be helpful unfortunately.

You really should try it. It works for me!!

 

[mary poppins]

Betsy DeVos is confirmed. Videos in linked article.


Betsy DeVos Vote: Pence’s History-Making Tie Breaker Confirms Controversial Education Sec.
By the narrowest of margins, the U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to confirm Betsy DeVos to be the nation's new education secretary.

A 50-50 deadlock over her confirmation was broken by Vice President Mike Pence who became the first vice president ever to cast a tie-breaking vote for a cabinet nominee.

The vote to confirm DeVos came after Senate Democrats staged an all-night Senate talkathon Monday evening, a tactic to draw attention to their opposition to the Michigan billionaire who has no experience working, attending or volunteering at a public school.

DeVos now becomes the sixth cabinet appointment of President Donald Trump's to be confirmed.

Pence was needed to break the 50-50 tie after two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, announced their opposition to DeVos last week. The rural state Republicans said that DeVos lacked the experience to understand "the challenges" facing public schools.

Democrats unified opposition to DeVos came after a nomination hearing where she failed to demonstrate a deep understanding of education philosophy.

An exasperated Sen. Al Franken, D-Minnesota, recalled on the Senate floor just before 10:00 p.m. Monday night his exchange with DeVos during the hearing last month where he asked if she was partial to an educational philosophy where children are measured on growth within the academic year or on proficiency of a grade level.

"She had no idea what I was talking about," Franken said. "I can't overstate how central this issue is to education."

Clips from the hearing that circulated on social media further mobilized people in opposition to DeVos. While she was one of the eight cabinet secretaries Democrats originally said they would mount an opposition campaign, the public fury over DeVos surprised even them.

Supported by progressive groups and local Democratic parties, calls flooded into Senate offices, jamming phone lines, pressuring Democrats to fight her nomination and urging Republicans to oppose her. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-North Dakota, said that most of the calls she's receiving are about DeVos and 90 percent are in opposition. And Sen. Bob Casey, R-Penn., has received more than 100,000 calls opposed to DeVos, more calls on one topic than he's had since he entered the Senate in 2007, according to an Democratic aide.

In addition, rallies have been organized at Senate district offices around the country. Such pressure successfully influenced Collins and Murkowksi.

Democrats have also expressed concerns that DeVos is philosophically opposed to public schools — and her business ties raise questions about conflicts of interest. She has personally invested in private and charter schools and been an outspoken advocate on both.
While they couldn't stop her confirmation, Democrats did make it as painful as possible. And they plan to use a similar delay tactic for more nominees, including for Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, to be attorney general. The Senate is expected to move to his confirmation next

The strategy allows time to mount public opposition but also use up valuable floor time that will backlog legislation Republicans and the Trump administration wish to pass this year, including health care reform.

Republicans plan on votes to confirm Treasury Secretary nominee Steven Mnuchin and Rep. Tom Price to be secretary of Health and Human Services Department. The Democrats' strategy could force a vote on Mnuchin into Saturday morning, a day of the week the Senate rarely works.

Republicans have sharply criticized Democrats tactics to slow down the nomination process. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, called it "juvenile," and Sen. Collins said it's "not really far."

"I don't really understand the point of their tactics. It's not going to have an influence on the final vote," she said specifically of Democrats delay of DeVos.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/mike-pence-casts-tie-breaking-vote-confirm-betsy-devos-education-n717836

 

[Calliecake]

So we now have Pence to thank for this. Please explain to me how someone with no public school experience is head of education when 90% of our children in the US go to public schools.

 

[arkieb1]

Congrats to the silent forgotten people, the poor and the voiceless, those who couldn't stomach voting for the other side or indeed anyone at all, you have just enabled a billionaire who donated heavily to Trump's campaign, with no experience in managing education to be the new secretary for education. When she destroys public education in your country, destroys special education and imposes her own set of heavily right wing heavily religious ideals upon the framework of all schools in your country I guess the people that voted for Trump will be happy.

That's education, immigration, and defence in your country now controlled by right wing extremists down, what's left to go.....

 

[OreoRosies86]

Thanks Trump voters!

 

[arkieb1]

Ahhh but she didn't donate heavily to Trump's campaign (according to our conservative friends on here), just the Republican party, so I stand apparently corrected on this by the conservatives on here. She bought her way via the party not Trump himself. Either way public and special education is screwed. Making American great once again...

 

[Tekate]

People will clearly defend *any* level of incompetence before admitting to being wrong, huh?

I think someone might need to state a position on the situation AND see that situation play out for some time in order to have any measurable result from which to admit or be found 'wrong'. But what do I know? I didn't skip school much, and I don't look up to nor model my behavior after women who ponder bombing the WH, discuss their kid's genitalia on social media, or use offensive racial slurs in an effort to boost their child's self-worth.

Have there been a lot of women doing this?

My role models were those women who questioned the status quo, those women who wanted to be equal, to control their own destiny, to not be Mrs somebody. I didn't want to live in a patriarchal society, I wanted to be master of my destiny. I must say though, I wanted to smash authority because i had a deep anger at adults, who came across as hypocrites, and at the catholic church for how I was treated by priests and some nuns. But I grew up!

I now see that change comes slowly. And eventually bad presidents, priests, nuns, parents get found out, it just takes time.

What I don't like about DeVos is she does not appreciate the community school. I totally dislike vouchers. If you are poor you get vouchers? if you are middle class what do you get ? tough luck. Poor kids will get choices and your average neighborhood with average tests scores will not get the same opportunity to go to a private school. Never put rich people in charge of poor people, it's just an experiment to them.

 

[mary poppins]

Congrats to the silent forgotten people, the poor and the voiceless, those who couldn't stomach voting for the other side or indeed anyone at all, you have just enabled a billionaire who donated heavily to Trump's campaign, with no experience in managing education to be the new secretary for education. When she destroys public education in your country, destroys special education and imposes her own set of heavily right wing heavily religious ideals upon the framework of all schools in your country I guess the people that voted for Trump will be happy.

That's education, immigration, and defence in your country now controlled by right wing extremists down, what's left to go.....

Spot-on. Plus the religious aspect with abstinence-only stance rather than sex education and access to birth control makes me concerned for the likely rise in teen and young twenties pregnancies with no or very limited access to abortion. Does not bode well for women and children. Regression on that front.

 

[mary poppins]

Even the grizzly bears know it's a bad turn of events.


Grizzly Bears Flee America’s Classrooms Following Confirmation Of Betsy DeVos

POSTED BY: GULLIVER FEBRUARY 7, 2017
There were heavy vibrations and thunderous noises in the hallways of America’s public schools today as the huge number of grizzlies and other species of bear known to frequent their classrooms took to surrounding hills and woodlands.

This was reportedly prompted by the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as education secretary, who has suggested guns be allowed in schools, citing grizzly bears in the classroom as the reason.

Unbeknownst to the public, this is a major problem all across America and not just isolated to a few places like Alaska and Wyoming, so a comprehensive guns-in-schools policy is warranted.

The development is a shame say educators because – though some bears were undoubtedly there hoping to eat small children – the vast majority simply sought to improve themselves through learning.

“What we should be doing instead of this draconian policy of bringing guns into public schools is developing a proper vetting program for bears who wish to attend.”

http://www.breakingburgh.com/grizzly-bears-flee-americas-classrooms-following-confirmation-betsy-devos/