As you no doubt already know, this afternoon the Senate confirmed the appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education by a simple and slim majority. Leading up to today's vote, it appeared at times a possibility that a GOP Senator might break with party ranks. Alas, it was not to be and the Senate was deadlocked in a 50-50 tie. Considering the sheer amount of potential confirmation votes in our nation's history, seldom do they come down to a Vice-Presidential tie-breaking vote. Mike Pence was brought to the floor to cast the final vote, which he did in the affirmative, finally putting an end to the question of whether a Trump appointee would be denied confirmation.
While the result certainly is a cause for concern and speculation, this process leading to the appointment reaffirmed the strength of democracy in action. An NEA statistic regarding the number of calls to the U.S. Senate switchboard noted hundreds of thousands of calls and 1.5 million emails from the time of DeVos' disastrous Senate confirmation hearing until the Senate H.E.L.P. Committee in mid-January. Grassroots activism at its finest was on display.
Perhaps most unsettling and disheartening to professional educators is that the experience and expectations incumbent upon us to carry out our duties, are juxtaposed to the level of expectations and experience considered necessary for Mrs. DeVos to hold her post. Frustration and indignation aside, we must continue to keep up the pressure, challenge what we know to be wrong, and relentlessly pursue justice for our students, our schools, and our profession at large.
Tonight, I will be participating in a town hall phone conference with AFT President Randi Weingarten and activists from around the country to ascertain our next steps going forward. Keep up to date with HCT, NYSUT, AFT, and NEA publications to learn how you can best stay involved in the fight.
Be certain that in the coming weeks and months we will hear mantras to the effect that "school choice is the answer to educational equality" and "choice will ensure that all children get the quality education they deserve". To be sure, DeVos and those like her will look for ways to spin the narrative and siphon vital resources from where they are most needed in an effort to shift them to for-profit charters. Look for the resurgence of competition for funding, in the vein of Race To The Top. Undoubtedly, talk of vouchers and "tax credit scholarships" enticing big businesses with tax break incentives, will be floated. Assuredly, we too will continue to push back against the harmful rhetoric of the ill-prepared DeVos as we daily hold her feet to the fire.
In solidarity,
Thomas Glenn
HCT President
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