A different take on Betsy DeVos’ confirmation

The Senate continued to slowly confirm President Trump’s cabinet nominees this week with the confirmation of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos drawing the most opposition.
After two Republican senators declined to support DeVos, it took Vice-President Mike Pence to break the 50-50 tie and confirm DeVos.
The Democrats and their buddies from the national teachers’ unions led the opposition. It centered around DeVos’ support for competition in the school system—something that is anathema to the public school teacher unions.
DeVos, and her husband Dick, are heirs to the Amway fortune. Their family and the Van Andel family have built Amway into a multi-billion-dollar world-wide enterprise by empowering people to build their own businesses that can be as big as their drive, determination and desire will take them. Amway celebrates free enterprise and DeVos, as well as many others, believe the public school system has failed many students—particularly those in the inner cities. It’s notable that she invested her time and money into efforts to give children opportunities.
It was intriguing to read this week what Dr. Deborah Owens, a long-time activist in education circles and co-founder with her husband Bill of the Coalition of African American Pastors (or the Coalition for American Action and Principles) had to say about it. She wrote:
“Those who don't follow politics might have been surprised when the single nastiest fight over President Trump's cabinet so far revolved around his nominee for Secretary of Education. But anyone who has been down in the trenches and seen the decay of our schools knows exactly why this was a battle … and why it's such good news that she won.

Despite all the mud that was slung at Betsy DeVos during her hearing, the real basis for that opposition can be summed up in a single word: vouchers. DeVos is well-known for her support of voucher programs, and that's all it took for Democrats to try to derail her confirmation.

It's mind-boggling. There is clear support for vouchers from inner city parents and minorities. Pretty much anyone who has witnessed the sad state of those public schools understands why those parents are in favor of vouchers and charter schools. As far as they're concerned, it's blatantly unfair to ask their children to continue in dangerous, failing schools on the promise that politicians will eventually reform them…

The fact that they (Democrats) failed is great news for anyone who is hoping to see real change in our schools.”
You can check out their views at http:www.caapusa.org