According to Betsydevos.com, DeVos has a background as a business woman, philanthropist, and a notable political campaign contributor. Nowhere is it listed that she has a background in education, something that, in my opinion, should be necessary to hold the position of Secretary of Education. DeVos has no experience with public schools, federal loan programs, supports homeschooling, and is a classic case of the spoils systems.

In the live stream of the Senate confirmation hearing, Senator Warren stated that the Department of Education oversees distributing $150 billion dollars. Warren also stated that the Secretary of Education is responsible for managing a $1 trillion student loan bank. When Warren asked DeVos if she had any experience running a bank, DeVos stated she did not. When Warren asked DeVos if she had any experience in running a loan program at all, DeVos stated that she did not. In the same hearing, Senator Warren stated that she felt it was important for the Secretary of Education to understand the financial struggle that paying for college places on families. Warren then asked DeVos if she or her children had to take out federal student loans to pay for college, DeVos said no. NBC News reported that neither DeVos nor her children ever attended a public school.  Betsy DeVos has no experience with college financial aid, management, or public schools.

Per NBC News, a backlash over DeVos becoming Secretary of Education has parents threatening to homeschool their children. DeVos supports homeschooling, but as head of the Education Department, she should not. If more children are being homeschooled, less are attending public schools. Therefore, these school get less funding and will eventually have to shut their doors. Which would leave parents with two options; homeschool, or send their kids to pricey private or charter schools. It’s ironic that private and charter schools come up because according to the same NBC article, DeVos has investments in both. Is DeVos advocating for what is best for education, or is she lining her own pockets?

The most famous example of DeVos’ ignorance about public schools was when Senator Murphy, during the confirmation hearing, asked her about her views on guns in schools. After DeVos stated that it should be left up to locales and states to decide, referencing something a different senator had mentioned. DeVos mentioned a small town called Wapiti in the state of Wyoming—“I think probably there, I would imagine that there’s probably a gun in the school to protect from potential grizzlies.” I don’t think a public school in Chicago’s south side is worried about grizzlies.

As I previously mentioned, DeVos has a background as a notable political campaign contributor. According to the Los Angeles Times, Senator Bernie Sanders asked DeVos how much her family had donated to the Republican Party. DeVos said she didn’t know, but senator Sanders was not convinced. Sanders stated that he heard the Devos family has donated $200 million+ to the Republicans. DeVos could only say, “It’s possible.” Is DeVos playing dumb, or is she trying to cover up a classic case of the spoils system? I’m sorry, I thought it was 2017, not 1829.

Mrs. DeVos could not be farther from qualified to be head of the Education Department. She has no background in education or how to run a large-scale loan program. She supports homeschooling, which will lead to the end of public school systems. Primarily, she says guns should be in schools in case of grizzlies. That is the most ignorant statement I have ever heard. I fear for the students in K-12 schools. What kind of education will they be receiving? Will they even learn how to read or count past ten? As a college student, I am concerned that I will lose my federal financial aid, and be forced to drop out of college.

Autumn Rock is a Communications major at Paul Smith’s College. She enjoys listening to music, making puns, and writing short stories.