Peter Greene, like Mercedes Schneider, checks into the background of the group called Friends of Betsy DeVos and finds that it apparently has only one member, a hired PR guy. He suggests that she buys friends.
But that may not be true. She has many many friends, as we learn from a press release issued by Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education, where DeVos was a board member until recently. Like DeVos, FEE supports school choice of every variety and doesn’t like public schools. It was also a strong supporter of Common Core but doesn’t say much about it these days.
FEE issued this letter endorsing DeVos:
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, 72 leaders and organizations, including the Foundation for Excellence in Education, joined the following open letter to show their support for Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education.
Betsy DeVos is an undisputed champion of families and students. For nearly 30 years she has devoted time and resources to improving education options for our nation’s children. Yet millions still languish in failing schools in an education system more than a century old. It’s time for a new vision.
Betsy DeVos provides that vision. She embraces innovation, endorses accountability and—most especially—trusts parents to choose what is in their unique child’s best interests. She also believes in providing every parent with the resources and choices to pursue those decisions.
On this week, National School Choice Week, we the undersigned endorse this champion of choice and the education reforms needed to improve the future of every child in America. And we strongly advocate for her confirmation as our next U.S. Secretary of Education.
Sincerely,
Jeff Atwater, Chief Financial Officer, State of Florida
State Representative Robert Behning, Indiana
State Representative Michael Bileca, Florida
State Representative Buzz Brockway, Georgia
State Representative Wes Cantrell, Georgia
State Representative David Clark, Georgia
State Representative Kim Coleman, Utah
State Representative Manny Diaz, Jr., Florida
Steve Durham, Member, Colorado State Board of Education
Lt. Governor Dan Forest, North Carolina
State Senator Dolores Gresham, Tennessee
State Senator Don Gustavson, Nevada
State Senator Joe Hardy, Nevada
State Senator Owen Hill, Colorado
State Representative Paul Lundeen, Colorado
Pam Mazanec, Member, Colorado State Board of Education
Adam Putnam, Commissioner of Agriculture, State of Florida
State Senator Michael Roberson, Nevada
State Representative Rebecca Roeber, Missouri
State Representative Ed Setzler, Georgia
State Representative Valencia Stovall, Georgia
Agudath Israel of America-Washington Office
Alabama Federation for Children
American Association of Christian Schools
Arizona Federation for Children
Frederick Hess, Resident Scholar and Director of Education Policy Studies, American Enterprise Institute*
American Federation for Children
Americans for Prosperity
Americans for Prosperity-Arizona
Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Arizona Charter Schools Association
Black Alliance for Educational Options
Business Council of Alabama
CarolinaCAN
Center for Arizona Policy
Children’s Education Alliance of Missouri (CEAM)
Civitas-North Carolina
EdChoice
Educate Nebraska
Empower Mississippi
Foundation for Excellence in Education
Florida Charter School Alliance
Florida Coalition of School Board Members
Georgia Charter Schools Association
Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP)
Hispanic CREO
Idaho Charter School Network
Independence Institute
Independent Women’s Voice
Institute for Better Education
Institute for Quality Education
Jeffersonian Project
Louisiana Association of Business & Industry
Louisiana Federation for Children
Mackinac Center for Public Policy
Maggie’s List
Missouri Education Reform Council (MERC)
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
Parents for Choice in Education
Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina (PEFNC)
Pennsylvania Coalition for Public Charter Schools
Public School Options
Ready Colorado
Reason Foundation
Rio Grande Foundation
SchoolForward
Tennessee Federation for Children
Texans for Education Opportunity
The Center for Education Reform
The Libre Initiative
Thomas B. Fordham Institute
Wisconsin Federation for Children
*Signing as an individual. AEI as the organization does not take a stance on such matters.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
With Trump getting rid of the Joint Chiefs at the NSA and appointing Bannon to run all things related to our national security, DeVos is way down the list of priorities we need to worry about.
All of us, all Americans, must join in the resistance to this rapid fascist coup, or many of us will be ending our lives in concentration camps. The parallel to the rise of the Third Reich could not be more clear. Their goal is to have America be a WHITE CHRISTIAN nation. This is going to be a civil war…but we have no weapons to protect against these fascists who now have taken over, except for our words.
While we educators endlessly banter about DeVos, the rest of the scenario emerges minute by minute for complete takeover and demolishment of our democracy. Today the question has been answered if the police would be with the People or with Bannon/Trump. The airport police decided NOT to follow the law and the injunction by the NY judge, but rather they are following the edicts of the Grand Inquisitors, Bannon and Trump. I do not see anything hopeful after today’s reports.
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“but we have no weapons to protect against these fascists who now have taken over”
You might be surprised at just how many weapons we do have. And I can tell you there are many who would have no qualms about using them IF the scenario were to play out the way you suggest.
Just bought 500 rounds for my rifle and pistol. And that’s not many at all. Can go through that in a couple of weeks shooting target practice. Price wasn’t that bad. At least they are available now.
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The former president of Pat Robertson’s university was an educational consultant to the Gates Foundation. Bill Gates lives in the state with the most regressive tax system in the nation. The Gates Foundation funds Aspen Institute’s education programs, while David Koch is on the Aspen board. In 2011, Bill Gates spoke against public pensions, thereby joining with the views of the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and the Koch’s State Budget Solutions. The Gates Foundation gave a huge grant to a professor who advocates for two-tier education.
There is no separation among the influential 0.1%, who are consolidating wealth and power, at their own peril.
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Formidable list. Too bad they are all either misinformed or ill-meaning of not only children and their parents, but also of neighborhoods and, at their roots, democratic cohesiveness.
And speaking of misinformed, what about her “endorsing accountability”???? And “National School Choice Week”? How much did THAT cost her to formalize?
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From a Georgetown student who is not a friend of Betsy DeVos:
The Public School Story DeVos Won’t Tell You
http://georgetownvoice.com/2017/01/28/the-public-school-story-devos-wont-tell-you/
This is the real transfer of power, from us to the next generation.
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Thank you for this well written, thoughtful link about the value of a good public education. It reminded me of my career teaching ESL in an excellent, diverse suburban public school. We must value and defend public schools against the attacks of billionaires and corporations looking to use our young people to serve their own ideological or for profit interests.
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You’ll love this! Here’s a post by Lamar Alexander explaining how wonderful Betsy is and why Democrats should IMMEDIATELY confirm her. Apparently, Alexander is living in the same alternate reality as the President…or is simply trying to insure a gold-plated retirement. The comments are PRICELESS.
View at Medium.com
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Sad. So sad. He knows better.
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Alexander equating vouchers with the GI Bill. Another falsehood out of the deform and privateer crowd.
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It’s called ROI, return on investment. Just struck me that this acronym is the same as the French word for royal. Seems an appropriate coincidence.
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Patrick Roy certainly was a royal goalie!
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An impressive list.
Would that it would make a difference but I am not holding my breath.
“Don’t confuse me with facts, my mind is made up”
AND
there is money to be made.
Nuf Sed.
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GW, That list is endorsing her.
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So sorry. That is the “first” mistake I ever made. LOL Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
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It’s amazing how beloved someone can be while she’s wearing her pockets stuff with campaign contributions $$. How many on this list know anything at all about education? JVK
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And of course, Joe Lieberman and Eva Moskowitz
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Reason Foundation and Americans for Prosperity are linked to the Koch dark empire.
The Jeffersonian Project is linked to the Koch’s, via ALEC.
Where’s the DeVos cheering squad from her 7 country clubs and yachting clubs?
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It’s widely reported that the Mackinac Center is funded by the Koch’s.
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Koch brothers and DeVos fund it
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Politico reported, Penn. Sen. Casey received 50,000 objections to DeVos. Sen. Tim Kaine-25,000. Considering that every time I called Kaine’s office, the message was the “box is full”, who knows how many actually called.
Bottom line, in the American republic, 4 people, if they are like Bill Gates, Charles and David Koch, and Betsy DeVos equal more than 50,000 of their fellow Americans.
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