Betsy DeVos is a graduate of Calvin College, a small Christian college in Michigan. Hundreds of students and alumni signed a letter opposing her nomination for Secretary of Education.
It is a thoughtful letter. I hope she reads it. I hope the U.S. Senate reads it. I visited Calvin College and lectured there about 10 years ago. I was very impressed by the kindness and goodness of those I met. Now I remember why.
The letter expressed these concerns, which I share:
1) While many of us were inspired by our time at Calvin College to make education a professional commitment, Mrs. DeVos was not. She has never worked in any educational institution as an administrator, nor as an educator. If the position of the Secretary of Education requires the individual to have an intimate knowledge of the tools used by educators, which we believe it does, Mrs. DeVos does not qualify.
2) Many of us entered Calvin College directly from Christian high schools and spent our entire elementary and secondary school years in these institutions, as did Mrs. DeVos. While we appreciate the opportunity to thrive and learn that is provided by these educational systems, we recognize that the vast majority of K–12 students are educated in the public school system. Because of this, we believe that any individual who is nominated to be Secretary of Education should have a strong commitment to public education, which Mrs. DeVos does not.
3) We believe that Mrs. DeVos’s commitment to education is limited to her advocacy of and financial contributions to religious and charter schools. Having the financial resources to promote one’s ideological point of view and endorse elected officials who share that ideology is not equivalent to the preparation that comes from being an educator or educational administrator.
4) Finally, in the first day of her confirmation hearing, Mrs. DeVos indicated a lack of support for federal policies regarding educational systems that receive public funding. This is especially concerning given that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Title IX, which ensure that all students’ educational experiences are free of discrimination that impedes learning, are not of value to Mrs. DeVos.
Our undergraduate education prepared us to be engaged and informed citizens who support public servants who seek to serve effectively and competently. This is precisely why we oppose the nomination of our fellow alumna, Betsy DeVos, for the position of United States Secretary of Education.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
This is a good letter to send to our Senators as a follow up. The right wing and Democrats for Education Reform have already honed their rebuttal to our previous points.
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Thank you for this, Diane.
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The letter reflects reasoned people, who live their faith and, do not sit on the sidelines.
The letter does not address the threat to denominations of churches, from DeVos’ advocacy of taxpayer funding for religious schools. And, that was appropriate in the context that the authors identified.
With hope, the sentiment that provoked the letter will spread, as a call to people of all faiths, who understand, mega churches, acting as a hub for community involvement, through their schools, will drive other churches out of existence.
And, it will make those of minority faiths, more vulnerable, in their isolation.
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Ed reformers have moved the goalposts on charter schools, again.
“Chris Maher Retweeted Robin Lake
Yes. Public charter schools should be held accountable like traditional public schools.”
That was not actually how these same people sold charter schools to the public. The deal they made with the public was charter schools would not have to follow the same regulations as public schools and in return for that lack of regulation charter schools would be easier to shut down than public schools.
That was how these same lobbyists sold this to the public. Don’t let them move the goalposts. They want it both ways. Easy to flood the market with charters but difficult to shut down. That wasn’t how they presented this to the public.
What they want is a “marketplace” where it’s easy to open a new charter school, next to impossible to open a new public school, but difficult to shut either school down.
They’re skewing this fake “marketplace” towards the schools they prefer and away from the public schools they disfavor. Don’t swallow it. It isn’t “agnostic” and it will harm the schools your children currently attend.
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Chiara:
Good catch.
Their critical claim was that the very LACK of regulation set free rheephorm’s alleged creative disruption and innovative disruption and just plain disruption of those “big gubmint monopoly” public schools aka “factories of failure.”
So if they are going to be “burdened” by those same “burdensome regulations”—how they gonna produce more miracles like those in New Orleans and Michigan and TENN and Detroit and Washington DC?
I guess we’ll have to wait for more of their “alternative facts” on display in the next round of “studies show.”
😎
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Also, would someone notify the ed reform “movement” that the “support” they promised for Common Core never showed up in actual public schools?
It looks to me like it all went to ed reform consultants and lobbying groups.
They have a duty to provide public schools what was promised. I recognize they’ve moved onto vouchers, but it’s a real betrayal of millions and parents and kids who went along with this not to fund it.
Next time get the funds first.
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What a well-written letter: I liked this best: “Having the financial resources to promote one’s ideological point of view and endorse elected officials who share that ideology is not equivalent to the preparation that comes from being an educator or educational administrator.
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That might as well have been written to Bill Gates and his cronies Duncan, Coleman, Zimba et al
Like Legionaires disease, Billionaire’s disease knows no party.
“The Billionaire’s Disease”
The Billionaire’s disease
Inevitably afflicts
Our schools with black-plague fleas
And Lyme infected ticks
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Thanks for posting this bit of info. As someone said above it is added ammunition to send to our politicians.
We HAVE to fight back.
This blog gives us the info which will help in this fight.
NEVER, Dr. Ravitch, NEVER, let anyone tell you not to post these kinds of info.
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Wow, just wow!
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This is a flicker of light brightening our very dark times.
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I agree: wow. just perfect.
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From, “How Betsy DeVos Used God and Amway to Takeover Michigan Politics” (Politico),
“Dick DeVos, at the side of his wife said, ‘The Church- which ought to be, in our view, more central to the life of the community-has been replaced by the public school.’ ”
Aren’t churches, currently, among the most segregated of American institutions?
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