On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos to lead the U.S. Department of Education. All Democrats, along with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME), opposed the nomination, forcing Vice President Mike Pence to cast the tie-breaking vote. This was the first time in history a cabinet nomination was decided by the Vice President.
As we previously outlined when her nomination was announced, Secretary DeVos’ background is centered on her pro-charter school advocacy. Her lack of experience in public schools led to a contentious confirmation hearing, where her nomination advanced on a party-line vote, and to opposition to her nomination on the floor. During the hearing, she outlined her support for “all postsecondary avenues, including trade and vocational schools, and community colleges.”
In response to a written question submitted after the hearing, Sec. DeVos affirmed her support for Perkins reauthorization, calling it an “important priority.” She also talked about providing flexibility at the state and local levels, aligning various federal laws and supporting data transparency.
ACTE will engage with Secretary DeVos to share our priorities for Perkins reauthorization and CTE more broadly, and will continue working all policymakers in Congress and the executive branch to represent and advocate for the interests of the CTE community.
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