Both Republican senators in North Carolina have been swamped with calls about Betsy DeVos, mostly opposed to her nomination. The senators are unlikely to oppose DeVos because the Republican party in NC has already pushed charters and vouchers and cyber charters.
Senator Richard Burr thinks that this is a campaign waged by Democrats, who didn’t give her a chance at her hearings. They prejudged her, he says.
But anyone who watched the hearings saw a woman who looked like a deer caught in headlights, unable to define basic federal laws and programs.
Her explanation about schools needing guns to protect against grizzly bears quickly made her the butt of comedy.
My hunch is that if she is confirmed–and I am betting there is plenty of arm-twisting behind the scenes–she won’t last four years. This is a woman who has never actually worked for anyone in her life. Never had to be in the office every day. Took off time whenever she wanted. The stress of having to go to work every day might be too much for her.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I can’t help but wonder if her tenure will be short-lived because the Dept. of Ed will soon be history. Trump has emphatically stated he wants to get rid of a number of Federal agencies, and education would certainly be on his chopping block.
She would happily kill the ED for him.
I’ve called both Senators multiple times. The word on the street is that Tillis is on the fence.
But DeVos paid so much money, she “deserves” to get what she wants . . . doesn’t she? Otherwise, they’re cheating her!
It’s the mantra of someone who thinks capitalism is not just a lens to think through, it’s the ONLY lens.
Who says she has to show up at the office and put in the hours?
She could do what her boss, the malignant narcissist, is doing running the country. She’ll run the DOE with Tweets
“Education Secretary-designate Betsy DeVos, who is being supported by Sen. Dean Heller and Gov. Brian Sandoval, grossly inflated graduation rates at a Nevada web-based school that was almost shut down last year.
DeVos, in written responses to questions from Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington State, declared that Nevada Virtual Academy had a graduation rate of 100 percent. But the school’s own board report, presented seven months ago, shows a 2015 graduation rate of 63.6 percent. (That report was first posted by Ed Week.)
The school has improved during the last four years — the graduation rate was 35 percent in 2010. But it has consistently been on the state’s “underperforming schools” list and its graduation rate has been abysmal.
Despite DeVos’ boasting of the school’s success, the facts show otherwise.”
Public schools shouldn’t rely on anything that comes out of the US Department of Education.
I mean, come on. She makes up graduation stats to promote charter schools! You’ll never get a fair shake from these people. They’ll declare you all “failing”.
Find reliable information elsewhere.
https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/devos-touted
I don’t know- how bad can DeVos be for kids in public schools?
Other than testing ed reform is basically irrelevant to public schools, right?
Public schools will be ignored for another 4 years while they all chase charters and vouchers. Maybe she’ll ignore us completely, if we’re lucky.
She will close them and turn them into charters…look at what she did in Detroit…
I don’t think Devos can kill IDEA or ESSA. Lobbyists will be telling Trump and Devos what is available for them to act on and what is hardwired into the architecture of USDE.
The President’s budget can starve USDE of all discretionay funding and probably will. Many USDE programs have that status–a legacy from RTT and pet projects of Obama/Duncan. Unless I am mistaken. someone will be minding USDE until Trump and/or Congress kills all of the non-discretionary line items.
I am am resigned to DeVos. This appt has the advantage of (a) a Cabinet member confirmed despite strong voter-protest to congressional reps of both parties– which undermines Trump– & (b) an aggressively anti-public-ed Secy of Ed, far easier to fight than the usual forked-tongue neolib ed-reformer. I’m just hoping that in the current flurry of walking back Obama-admin regs, somebody remembers to walk back J King’s ESSAimplementation regs…
After the country’s public school teachers protest and countless petitions are handed to her daily, she will wish she never took the job. Wait until she deals with the various parental advocacy groups for the disabled I know many of their leaders and they will not back down. They are like lions protecting their cubs. I pray they will go for the jugular.
She won’t have fun. She is accustomed to servility and deference. Welcome to politics.
I phoned Burr and Tillis multiple times and urged them to jettison her. Burr will not. Tillis has remained mum. Question for you, Diane: You say that most of the calls are in opposition. What is your source for that? I very much want to believe that’s true (though it seems at least Burr would be ignoring us), but I’ve become more diligent about wanting to know what the statements I read are based on. I’m afraid I also find it difficult to believe that either senators’ offices would give you any inkling of their call tallies. Please explain. Thank you (and thank you for your wonderful work!)!
Politico published an article a couple of days ago saying that Senators phone lines were swamped with calls about DeVos, overwhelmingly against her.
Thank you! Now I’m eager to see their source!
It was The Hill: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/316321-anti-devos-calls-jam-senate-phone-lines
Maybe I’m missing something, but I see no mention of the idiot senators from my new home state of NC in The Hill article.
Christina, they were both mentioned in the linked article from a NC newspaper
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article130179734.html
What I’m searching for is not just mentions of those two senators but the source of the statement that most of the calls they are getting indicate opposition to DeVos. One of the articles cites one or two other senators’ offices (Kaine and ?) as saying most of their calls are in opposition. Burr cites the volume of calls to him and his wife, but nothing I can find (try as I might) says that the calls to Burr and Tillis are mostly opposed to sweet Betsy. I hate to have any differences with someone I respect so highly and agree with so vehemently, but statements must be supported and given attribution, where possible. And if I am missing something here, please tell me, but the three sources you cite don’t have what I’m looking for.