Trump will nominate Betsy DeVos to be Secretary of Education. Good for special education? Reactions vary. Lori Higgins, Kathleen Gray report at The Detroit Free Press:
"She has been given a cabinet position for which she is eminently unqualified," said Paula Herbart, president of a Michigan Education Association local that represents school employees in 14 Macomb and Wayne county school districts.
Herbart predicted that under DeVos, more money will be diverted from public schools to charter schools run by for-profit companies and private schools.
"Public schools will lose funding in dramatic ways," she said.
And she predicts the private schools and charter schools will educate fewer of the students who are the most difficult and costliest to educate — students with special education needs and at-risk students.
Charter schools now have fewer special education students than traditional public schools, with the difference between the two most dramatic in the state's urban areas.
Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, though, praised the appointment in a news release, saying the announcement marked "an exciting day for children." Calley has been an advocate for students with special education needs.
"Betsy's nomination shows that President-elect Trump is serious about building an education system that puts kids first and parents in the driver's seat. Creating an education system that works to help all children excel remains a priority of mine and I look forward to working with Betsy on these efforts in her new role."
