02.07.17

Hoeven Statement on Confirmation of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate confirmed Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education:

“North Dakota has excellent public schools and teachers who work hard every day to provide our students with a quality education, which is why I have always strongly supported and will continue to support our public education system. When I met with Betsy DeVos, I made a point of asking her if she supports public education as well as state and local control. She assured me that she does, as she testified in her hearing. She also told me she would not take away funding from public schools in North Dakota, and I have every intention of holding her to that commitment. Additionally, in written follow-up to her Senate testimony, DeVos also committed to fully support the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding and implementation.

“We worked hard last session in the Senate to pass the Every Student Succeeds Act with strong bipartisan support. This legislation requires federal funding to go only to states, public school districts and tribes. It provides both authority and funding for education at the state and local level to ensure that parents, students and teachers determine how our children are educated. I have worked to make sure that North Dakotans, not the federal government, will make decisions about our children’s education.

“Betsy DeVos’s mother was a public school teacher, and DeVos herself volunteered to work with children in the Grand Rapids Public School System, whose superintendent enthusiastically supported her nomination.” 

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