Last month, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, A Michigan billionaire and businesswoman, DeVos has championed school choice, charter schools and vouchers programs as a strategy to improve schools. She was approved despite widespread concerns about her lack of experience in public education and apparent lack of understanding of education policy and law.
With two Republican members voting against her nomination, the Senate voted with 50-50. A tie-breaking vote by the Vice President came after heated debate.
Under questioning in her confirmation hearings, it became evident that DeVos did not know that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law. Disability Advocacy Groups including the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, the Council of Administrators of Special Education and the American Association of People with Disabilities — urged senators to oppose DeVos and more than three dozen other groups insisted that any vote should be delayed until she offered more specifics regarding her views on educating students with disabilities.
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