Wisconsin school-choice supporters cheer DeVos pick

[riversedge]

Source: Milwaukee-Journal


Erin Richards , Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 9:20 p.m. CST November 23, 2016




With her deep ties to Wisconsin's private-school choice movement and disdain for unions thwarting reforms, Betsy DeVos, president-elect Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. Education Secretary, was a name that sent shock waves through the state's education circles Wednesday.

"It is completely jazzing the entire school-choice community nationwide," said Jim Bender, president of advocacy group School Choice Wisconsin. "It's like, game on."

Gov. Scott Walker congratulated DeVos, whom he called his friend, on Twitter while Democratic Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan tweeted the nomination was "really bad news for public schools."

DeVos is married to Dick DeVos, and both are heirs to the fortune amassed by Michigan-based direct sales company Amway, which was co-founded by Dick's father, Richard DeVos. Betsy DeVos was active in Republican politics and has focused on schools as board chair of her national advocacy group, American Federation for Children, based in Washington, D.C. The group has funneled millions of dollars into campaigns around the country to elect school choice friendly lawmakers and to lobby aggressively for school choice legislation.................................


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Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2016/11/23/wisconsin-school-choice-supporters-cheer-devos-pick/94361104/

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More bad news for WI--and the

[Judi Lynn]

1. OMG. Amway people. Figures! Time for US Americans to kick these grifters to the curb. n/t

[flygal]

6. I truly believe Trump voters are the ones supporting Amway type businesses

they really believe they will be rich like the higher ups one day and believe all the anti-democrat crap slung at them. The Amway rallies are full of religion and pro-republican bs.

[Sadie5]

2. Voucher choice has to stop

The whole voucher idea is a corrupt mess. Example: My friend has a son who is married with three little girls all school age. They live in a rather poor school district where the teachers supply much of their classroom needs. Pence has been pushing school vouchers for some time and mostly at the poor areas of Indiana. The young couple jumped at the chance that their kids could go to a better school out of their poverty stricken district and believed the pitch about better education etc. The first year went smoothly and the their kids did better than ever in the new school. As the school year came to a close they learned that if their kids wanted to attend the same school the next year they would be charged tuition which they did not have as they barely made ends meet as it was.They were also told that if they signed up right away there would be tuition financing available to them. They eventually came to their senses they could barely afford to live as it was so the school was out of the question for the next year. Now the kids are back in their old school. The same one that has been squeezed dry of funds. So much for vouchers. Also there have been reported cases of beatings in these charter schools and rumors that the teaching staff lack the necessary degrees to actually educate the kids. Another thing is although I don't know it to be true is that these charter schools get tax dollars while public education suffers.

[secondwind]

3. There is a woman in AZ who runs 3 charter schools.. there are no janitors, the teachers have to

clean the schoolrooms and the bathrooms, they have to furnish school supplies, also... this woman is only enriching herself on public funds.

[lunasun]

7. Yes charters can get tax dollar funding

[7962]

9. So those vouchers are only good for ONE year? Then they're no good at all.

Since its tax dollars, if they're going to do it why wouldnt the money STAY with the children???

[Cosmocat]

10. This is the painfully obvious shit

Rs are pushing for that is 100 percent a scam, but the country just could give a shit about ...

[Chimichurri]

4. It's not a choice when public schools have no resources

Because they're being funneled into for-profit privatized businesses

[OldRedneck]

5. Betsy DeVose . . .

. . . is to public education as Phyliss Schlafly was to women's rights

[SharonAnn]

11. And as Colonel Sanders is to chickens.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. This is a giant religious construction project that will bilk taxpayers

Don the Con is after all a developer

[certainot]

12. rw radio has been essential to defunding and privatizing and

U of WI supports 3 limbaugh stations in that state.

deplorable

[suffragette]

13. Very bad news. The more I read about her and her family, the worse it gets.

Connected to Blackwater, connected to Family Research Council, connected to Orwellian named "Right to Work" labor busting legislation, connected to getting rid of public employees pensions.

[smirkymonkey]

14. This just makes me so furious!

How evil and hateful can these people get? Grrrr!