If confirmed, Betsy DeVos would be the first secretary of education who didn’t attend or send her own children to public schools (though her mom was a public school teacher).
Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., who fully supports her nomination, says that’s a good thing.
“That’s one of the best qualifications you could have for the job,” Lieberman said of DeVos’ lack of a background in public schools.
Why would Lieberman say that? Perhaps because he’s disappointed in the public school system. “Less than 40 percent of high school graduates are college or career ready,” Lieberman said, adding that DeVos has been working to fix these problems even though she’s largely been doing so from the nonprofit sector. “Because Betsy has been disrupting the status quo for so long, her nomination is naturally controversial.”
Despite DeVos’ lack of experience with public schools, Lieberman says he’s never heard her speak ill of public schools. “I have never heard Betsy speak against our public school system.” He had heard her ask what could be done to improve bad public schools that low-income families are trapped attending.
“Everything I have seen,” Lieberman said, “tells me Betsy is ready to take on this assignment and do it well.”
Jason Russell is the contributors editor for the Washington Examiner.
