Advocates slam Trump’s pick for education sec’y

President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of education says she's not a supporter of the unpopular Common Core curriculum -- but critics say she's also not a supporter of public schools in general.

News 12 Staff

Nov 25, 2016, 8:35 AM

Updated 2,869 days ago

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President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of education says she's not a supporter of the unpopular Common Core curriculum -- but critics say she's also not a supporter of public schools in general.
Trump has selected charter school advocate Betsy DeVos, of Michigan, who has never had a public school education and sent all four of her children to private schools.
Education advocates on Long Island are criticizing the move.
"She's unfit, and she's unqualified to be secretary of education," says Marla Kilfoyle, who heads the teachers association BATS, which opposes the privatization of public education.
Kilfoyle also says DeVos has pushed for anti-LGBT laws in other states.
Low-income communities could be cut off from necessary services under DeVos, Kilfoyle says.
"We all need to be concerned about an agenda that does not support our public education system," Kilfoyle says.
Patchogue-Medford School Superintendent Dr. Michael Hynes is also unhappy with the appointment. He expressed his views on YouTube.
"This is a poor choice," he said in a video statement. "All public advocates out there, we have a lot to say about this, and we continue to advocate for our students."
Trump describes DeVos as a brilliant and passionate education advocate.
"Under her leadership, we will reform the United States education system and break the bureaucracy that is holding our children back so that we can deliver world-class education and school choice to all families," Trump said about her in a statement.
DeVos says she hopes to make a transformational change and that "the status quo in education is not acceptable."
She is the second woman chosen to fill a spot in Trump's cabinet. Earlier Wednesday, Trump selected South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as ambassador to the United Nations. Both cabinet-level positions require Senate confirmation.