Here is the letter I sent to Senator Rand Paul and Senator Mitch McConnell regarding my gross concerns about Betsy DeVos. If you have not done so, I encourage you to contact your senators to vote against her confirmation as Secretary of Education.
Dear Senator Paul/McConnell,
I hope this email finds you, your family, and your staff well. I am writing you today to express my grave concerns regarding President-Elect Trump’s nomination for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. I feel that she is grossly unqualified to serve as Secretary of Education and would indeed be a danger to the public education system of the United States.
As has been widely reported in various media outlets, Ms. DeVos did not even attend public schools or a state university as a student. When it comes to her own children, she has never sent them to public schools. While the decision of how to best educate one’s children is certainly one’s own, Ms. DeVos simply can not relate or empathize with the issues surrounding public schools due to her refusal to participate in the public education system. When asked in her hearing if she had ever attended a public school, Ms. DeVos’ answer was “No but I mentored in one once.” This hardly qualifies her to be the chief policy maker for our country’s public schools. Ms. DeVos simply does not have the best interests of our public schools in mind.
Additionally, she has been very vocal on her support of charter schools operated by for-profit education companies. Charter schools have not been shown to be any better at educating children than traditional public schools, and in fact have been shown to do a worse job in many cases. Simply stated, charter schools are not the answer. Beyond that, Ms. DeVos has multiple conflicts of interest by which she could potentially use her office to benefit private, for-profit education companies.
The thing I find most disturbing about Ms. DeVos, however, is her implication that states should not be made to comply with the IDEA Act. Children of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds should have the same access to educational services just as their typical peers do. The suggestion that schools ought to be able to refuse to provide services to disabled students is repulsive and offensive on so many levels. Quite frankly, I was very disturbed to hear Ms. DeVos’ comments on IDEA. Such a stance is unacceptable for the person charged with overseeing education for all of the children of the United States.
Senator, I am a pastor in Powell County. As such, part of my duty as a clergy person is to look out for the best interests of all of God’s children. Policies and stances such as those of Ms. DeVos would only harm the students of Powell County – and beyond – and I simply can not condone such actions. Jesus Christ considered children to be a special blessing which must be protected and provided for by the entirety of society. As a Christian and as a pastor, I can not support Ms. DeVos’ nomination and I urge you to vote against her confirmation. By doing this, a message will be sent to President-Elect Trump which states we demand better for our children than a billionaire with no experience or passion for public education.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I pray for God’s guidance and blessing for you.
Sincerely,
Rev. Jonathan K. Tullos