Betsy DeVos is not the candidate of choice among local educators.
DeVos, who is President Donald Trump’s nomination for U.S. education secretary, has undergone blistering
questioning about her lack of public education experience and her advocacy of unregulated charter
schools.
Local school superintendents are asking the same questions.
“Everything that has been reported … demonstrates pretty clearly there is a wide gap between what she
knows about teaching and learning and the level of the position she is going to occupy,” said Greg
Clark, superintendent for Northwood schools.
“A young teacher not knowing the difference between growth and proficiency probably would not get the
job,” he added, referring to DeVos’ confusion between the terms during a recent Senate hearing.
In fact, DeVos has never been a school teacher or school administrator, and never attended public school.
She also has refused to pay Ohio more than $5 million in fines and late fees for violating state
campaign finance laws in 2006.
Bowling Green Superintendent Francis Scruci had nothing good to say about DeVos at a school board meeting
earlier this month.
“Her appointment will change the landscape of public education,” he said.
“Her history and background is one of which supports charter schools and privatization,” he added
Thursday. “That is where our fear is now in public education.
“It is pretty well documented that what she brings to the table is very limited and she has very limited
experience with public education. That is a concern.”
Scruci hopes a more qualified candidate is brought forward.
“We educate every child that walks through our doors. It’s a challenge, but one we celebrate, and if you
don’t have a background in education, your knowledge will be limited of all that great things that go on
in public education,” he concluded.
“I’m not certain how an individual who has no educational background, has not worked or done anything in
public education, can serve as the secretary of education,” said Eastwood Superintendent Brent Welker.

“I’ve read her bio. I don’t know what her credentials are other than she is pretty politically
connected.”
DeVos has “strong feelings on vouchers, but those views don’t work well with the community of Eastwood.”

He wonders if states, in order to receive federal funding, will be required to have a school choice
program using public dollars for private organizations.
“I’m very skeptical that she will provide any movement forward for boys and girls in Ohio. Her views
won’t lead to better outcomes in my district,” he said.
Clark thinks the biggest impact of having DeVos in office would be on special education and Title
funding, both controlled by the federal government with rules written by her office.
“She didn’t seem to understand that special education falls under the purview of the federal government,”
Clark said. “Will she be looking out for the needs of special education? And how? These are the
questions that need to be answered.
“If I were the parent of a special needs child, I would be very concerned.”
Welker also is concerned about the future of special education.
“You have to wonder if students with disabilities will still continue to receive quality education
services. Where she is at in private schools, they don’t have kids with disabilities. How is she going
to be secretary of education for those kids? Or is she only going to be secretary of education for the
wealthy kids?”
The Washington Post reported that at a nomination hearing last week, DeVos seemed to have no
understanding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, known as IDEA, which requires public
schools to provide free and appropriate education to all students with disabilities.
She refused to agree 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.
Tom Hosler, superintendent for Perrysburg schools, was a superintendent in Michigan while DeVos was
politically active in the state.
DeVos has been a defender of the Detroit charter school system. Detroit Public Schools, she argued,
should simply be shut down and the system turned over to charters, according to the New York Times.
DeVos and her husband lobbied hard for the state law that established charter schools in 1994. It
allowed an unusually large number of organizations to start charter schools, which are publicly funded
but privately run. But it created little oversight.
Even charter school supporters now criticize Detroit as one of the most unregulated markets in the
country.
“I think there are probably better choices out there,” Hosler said. “She has had great influence in the
state of Michigan and has pretty much gotten her way with her agenda.”
The results? Over the last 15 years the education in Michigan has not gotten better, he said. “More
choice introduced in Detroit and across the state has not moved the needle.”
He continued, “Does her track record warrant an appointment? No.”
Her area of expertise comes from being a private citizen who set up a public action committee about
choice, Hosler said.
“As secretary, you have to work with all schools and all types of students. I don’t believe she has a
record of doing that.
“What we can expect in the future is based on what was accomplished in the past. Her past record says
enough.”
He also referred to comments made by Trump on the campaign trail about eliminating the Education
department.
“It’s interesting to see if someone like DeVos is appointed, will that dismantle the role of public
education?” Hosler said.
“What she does is have an agenda that is very anti-public school,” Clark added. He is not against charter
or parochial schools, but the number of children educated in those schools is very small compared the
public schools.
“We need to have vital public schools. If we have someone who shows lack of respect, what message does
that send?”
A vote to confirm DeVos is scheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m. DeVos only needs a simple majority of
senators to support her, so if all 52 Republicans vote for her, she will be confirmed.
“She hasn’t been appointed yet,” Scruci said. “There is still time to contact our senators.”
He added, “She doesn’t have a lot of support.”