N.J.'s Menendez, Booker Won’t Support DeVos As Trump’s Education Choice

NEWARK, NJ —New Jersey’s U.S. senators say that they won’t be supporting the nomination of Betsy DeVos as President Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. Secretary of Education.

DeVos – one of “America’s Richest People” according to Forbes - is reportedly an advocate of Common Core, “school choice” and charter schools, and has opposed state oversight and regulation of schools. She sent her own children to private schools, reports say.

• See related article: Donald Trump's Education Secretary Pick Betsy DeVos of Michigan: 7 Things to Know

On Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez announced that he will vote “no” on DeVos’ nomination.

“We should not entrust the future of our children to someone who has never participated in our public education system - either as a student, parent, administrator, or educator - and fundamentally misunderstands vital pieces of federal legislation like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),” Menendez said. “Mrs. DeVos’ only education policies have expressly sought to pull funding away from our public schools. Instead, we should be increasing our investment in the next generation, and guaranteeing that a free, high-quality education is the birthright of every American.”

The senator made his announcement during a conference call with several New Jersey teachers and school administrators, including Rich D’Avanzo, an eighth grade U.S. history teacher at Burnet Middle School in Union Twp. (Union); Dana Meixner, a special education teacher at Union (Twp.) High School (Union); Dr. Louis Moore, superintendent of the Red Bank Regional School District (Monmouth); Union City District Supervisor Krystle Santaniello (Hudson); Rebecca Schaliack, a fifth grade teacher at Mary S. Shoemaker Elementary School in Woodstown (Salem); Laurie Schorno; a middle school special education math teacher at Morris Plains Middle School (Morris); and Maryann Woods-Murphy, Nutley Public Schools’ gifted and talented specialist (Essex).

Menendez's peer Cory Booker expressed his opposition to DeVos’ nomination earlier in the week.

“After her confirmation hearing, I still have serious concerns about Betsy DeVos leading the Department of Education and will not be voting to confirm her,” Sen. Booker stated on Jan. 18.

“Mrs. DeVos’ record and testimony raise a number of concerns in critical areas of the Secretary of Education’s responsibilities that substantively contributes to my conclusion not to support her,” Booker explained. “Should she be confirmed, it is my hope that many of my concerns about this nominee are not realized and that we can find common ground in our country to continue building upon the gains made in public education under the Obama administration.”

‘NO’ TO DEVOS

Menendez's Tuesday announcement came just hours after he and Booker got a visit from about 200 incensed local activists at their offices in Newark.

Members from a coalition of several groups - Action Together New Jersey, MoveOn.org, the Working Families Party and the Indivisible Team – showed up at the senators’ offices in support of #ResistTrumpTuesdays with a surprise gift: several large bags of gumballs inscribed with the message “Gum Up Trump’s Plan.”

Together, the protesters urged Menendez and Booker to vote against several of Trump’s cabinet nominees: DeVos for Secretary of Education, Jeff Sessions for Attorney General and Tom Price for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

In particular, the protesters took umbrage with Trump’s nomination of DeVos as the figurehead of the American education system.

Action Together New Jersey member and West Orange resident “Jennifer C.” said that as a mother of a child with special needs, the appointment of Betsy DeVos “really scares” her.

“What does this mean for my child?” the West Orange mother asked. “I was in tears as I listened to her hearing last week. I'm not sure she really understands what IDEA is. I haven’t felt this hopeless about [my child’s] education since I first began to advocate for him in the school system. The laws and rights afforded to him have been life altering for him. To think we could have a secretary of education who doesn’t even know the very rights I’ve learned to fight for is terrifying.”

Photo: Action Together New Jersey

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com