WHAT THEY ARE SAYING – America’s Next Education Secretary Ready To Lead (Vol. XVII)

Yesterday’s news bolsters the fact that Betsy DeVos is well on her way to being confirmed to led the Education Department and this excites many activists who continue to emphasize why her leadership is needed to help America’s students:

February 2, 2017

Despite the special-interest teacher’s unions handsomely funded efforts, yesterday’s news bolsters the fact that Betsy DeVos is well on her way to being confirmed to head the Education Department. This excites many activists and commentators who continue to emphasize why her leadership is needed to help America’s students:

Margaret Spellings, Former U.S. Education Secretary & President Of University Of North Carolina System: “I expect her to listen a lot. This is the era of the states and I expect that she’ll be an honest broker and a great leader for all of our schools.”

• “She has an open approach to where those educational opportunities are provided whether they’re charter or private schools or any school. I think the question is, where can we find the best education for students, not what’s the name on the door.”

Dr. Steve Perry, Founder Of Capital Preparatory Magnet Schools: “The teacher’s union is what it has always has been which is focused on the teachers, not on education, because if they were, they would support any schools that were good, any educational experience that was good, regardless of whether it was public, private, traditional or non-traditional.”

• “Now we need to make sure that the schools that serve our children are the ones that the parents want the children to go to, not the teacher’s union so that they can maintain a stranglehold over the Democratic Party and some civil rights organizations.”

• “What she wants to do is rewrite the education playbook for America, and get past this artificial distinction of age and grade, and what you should learn by this date, or this date, or this date.”

United States Senator John Kennedy: “I’ll support anything in elementary and secondary education, I don’t care what it is and I don’t car what the political consequences are if it’s going to help our kids learn, and I think that’s Mrs. DeVos’ attitude.” 

• “She believes that we ought to put kids first for a change and not the parents and not the teacher’s, as important as our teacher’s are.” 

• “We got problems with elementary and secondary education in America and we need to fix it and I think our new Education Secretary is going to get started on that.” 

Tennessee State Senator Brian Kelsey: “I have worked with Mrs. DeVos on education issues in Tennessee for several years. I know her to have both a heart for our school children and the experience to take the Department of Education to new heights.”

• “For almost 30 years, Mrs. DeVos has fought for the rights of parents and children to receive the quality education they deserve.”

• “Mrs. DeVos has a huge heart for children, and she practices what she preaches. In addition to fighting for policies to help low-income children, she has personally mentored at-risk youth.”

• “Betsy DeVos is not a politician. She is an education leader who has given her life to helping children achieve. She’s helped many already. The Senate should vote to allow her to help them all.”

Meghann Silverthorn, President Of Douglas County’s School District Board: “She has the right ideas. She has the right focus on providing educational opportunities for all kids… She’s generally concerned with that if something is not working, then let’s look at doing something different and try to fix it.”

Mike Miles, CEO Of Third Future Schools: “Most Americans agree we need to have more choice options and the expansion of schools of choice doesn’t make her an enemy of public education.”

Pam Benigno, Director Of The Independence Institute’s Education Policy Center: “Hopefully, she’ll spread the word about parental choice and will help make our schools more about the parents and kids and not the system.” 

Editorial, Wall Street Journal: “A philanthropist who dedicates her fortune to improving schools for poor children.”

• “The school-choice agenda improves educational outcomes, as students in charter schools typically gain months of additional learning.”

Joe Cunningham, RedState: “The status quo in education has not worked. The loudest voices against DeVos are the ones who favor the status quo.”

• “DeVos represnets a change at the more local levels of education. She supports state and district choice when it comes to education policies and reforms, and has pushed for competition to the traditional system of education.”

• “But, the status quo fails our children time and again. It’s time for something different.”

Ashley Bateman, The Federalist: “Betsy DeVos Is Right: School Choice Works”

• “Millennials say they would choose a private education for their child if given the choice… they may just get their wish with DeVos’ appointment.”

Patrick Brennan, Opportunity Lives: “The Shallowness of Democrats’ Opposition to Betsy DeVos” 

• “(Democrats) want to smear the Michigan school choice efforts to which DeVos has contributed so much in time, talent and treasure, and which have offered a crucial lifeline to Detroit kids in failing schools.”

• “DeVos’s groups were fighting for accountability.”

Gary Naeyaert, Executive Director Of The Great Lakes Education Project: “What we’ve had is a status quo kind of approach to education policy… And I think this President and this secretary-designate, who come from outside the norm, are here to shake things up. That’s a scary proposition for the historic defenders of the status quo.”

James Davis, Executive Vice President Of Freedom Partners: “Students deserve a path to break out from failing schools and develop the skills they’ll need to contribute and thrive in an increasingly competitive global economy. You will find no better champion for parents and students than Betsy DeVos.” 

• “Empowering parents and students with the freedom to pursue the best education is an issue that both Republicans and Democrats should agree on.” 

• “America’s next generation deserves leaders who will fight to give them the opportunities they deserve to succeed. Betsy DeVos has been on the front lines of that fight…”