Betsy DeVos, Donald Trump’s pick for education secretary, appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. She said in a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday that she would encourage “new pathways of learning” as education secretary, expanding charter- and private-school options for children and promoting trade schools as an alternative to four-year college degrees.
“For too long a college degree has been pushed as the only avenue for a better life” Ms. DeVos said during her Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday evening.
DeVos also refused to agree with a Democrat that schools are no place for guns, citing one school that needs one to protect against grizzly bears.
Ms. DeVos, a Michigan billionaire, has been supporting charter schools since many years, which are publicly funded but privately run, and vouchers, which provide public funds for children to attend private schools. She has previously said little, if anything, on higher education.
Teachers unions and Democrats have accused Ms. DeVos and the broader charter-school movement of diverting money and attention away from public schools, and leaving more poor children harmed than helped. Ms. DeVos rebutted that criticism Tuesday, calling it a “national injustice” that too many poor children attend low-performing public schools with no alternatives. Ms. DeVos, who attended Christian schools as a child and then a Christian college, said it is her mission to help such children.
DeVos refused to agree with Sen. Tim Kaine that all schools that receive public federal funds — traditional public, public charter or private schools that receive voucher money should be held to the same standards of accountability.
Kaine: “If confirmed will you insist upon equal accountability in any K-12 school or educational program that receives taxpayer funding whether public, public charter or private?”
DeVos: “I support accountability.”
Kaine: “Equal accountability?”
DeVos: “I support accountability.”
Kaine: “Is that a yes or a no?”
DeVos: “I support accountability.”
Kaine: “Do you not want to answer my question?”
DeVos: “I support accountability.”
Kaine: “Let me ask you this. I think all schools that receive taxpayer funding should be equally accountable. Do you agree?”
DeVos: “Well they don’t, they are not today.”
Kaine: “Well, I think they should. Do you agree with me?
DeVos: “Well no . . . ”
Kaine, interrupting her, said: “You don’t agree with me.” And he moved on to another topic.
DeVos said she would review gainful employment regulations without committing to enforce them.