Betsy DeVos, the nominee for Education secretary under Donald Trump's administration, might have failed her first test. At the Senate hearing to confirm her post, the committee did not hold back in grilling the school choice advocate.
Democrats tried to tear down DeVos' credibility by openly criticizing her. Senators pointed out that the nominee was not familiar with what students really need, especially since she has no experience in the Education sector other than growing it as a business.
Reuters reports that some senators were more upfront in asking DeVos regarding public school education. It has been widely known that the nominee is for school choice and could potentially divert government funds into charter and voucher schools that should be for public schools improvement.
DeVos, however, has plenty of Republicans backing her and her push for school choice. If the Democrats gave DeVos a hard time, the Republicans limited their questions during the hearing. Many in the party believe that she is the best to handle programs that would give parents more options for their children because her views are not typical for an Education secretary.
According to NBC News, DeVos' school choice push could result in more competitive schools that would benefit the children. It means that they can attend private schools supported by government funds. It also means that states will be more in control of its system and not rely on blanket policies enforced by the Department of Education but some are skeptical about this plan.
DeVos' hearing was pushed back to this week because the committee first insisted that she should be subjected to an ethics check as well. The paperwork for this has not been completed.
Washington Post notes that DeVos has been a polarizing nominee, which doesn't happen often for a post for Education. Meanwhile, the result of her confirmation hearing will be made known on Jan. 24.
