Posted on Feb 7, 2017
DeVos becomes U.S. education secretary as Pence breaks tie - One America News Network
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I was interested to read that for the first time in a very long time the Vice President of the USA broke a senate tie by voting. In this case Vice President mike Pence voted for Betsy Ross which resulted in her confirmation as Secretary of the Department of Education.
As somebody who was involved in homeschooling my sons for a time, I am interested in education policy and regulatory guidance. As a student of history I am interested in the government processes for confirmation and regulatory review.
"DeVos Becomes U.S. Education Secretary As Pence Breaks Tie
Betsy DeVos testifies before the Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee confirmation hearing
Betsy DeVos testifies before the Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee confirmation hearing to be next Secretary of Education on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
February 7, 2017
By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s choice of billionaire Betsy DeVos to be education secretary was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, but only after Vice President Mike Pence was called in to break a tie that threatened to defeat her.
The tie-breaking vote, which Senate officials said was unprecedented to confirm a president’s Cabinet nominee, came after two Republicans joined with 46 Democrats and two independents in opposition to DeVos. Critics have called her unprepared to lead the Department of Education.
Following a rocky Senate confirmation hearing, Democrats have attacked DeVos as being unprepared to lead the Department of Education.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer immediately derided the proceeding.
“This cabinet nom is so unqualified, so divisive, that @MikePenceVP had to drive down Pennsylvania Ave to cast the deciding vote,” he wrote in a Twitter post after the vote.
Under the U.S. Constitution, the vice president also serves as president of the Senate, with the power to cast votes only when there are ties on nominations or legislation.
Democrats kept the Senate in session throughout Monday night debating on DeVos and in an attempt to pressure one more Republican to join in opposition to DeVos and thus defeat her.
Ultimately, only Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined the Democrats and two independents in opposition to DeVos. That left 50 Republicans supporting her in the 100-member chamber.
Historically, Cabinet nominees with weak support in the Senate ask the president to withdraw their nomination, which DeVos did not do.
DeVos is married to the heir and former CEO of Amway, which sells household and personal care items. She is also the daughter of the founders of Prince Corp, a Michigan car parts supplier and sister of Erik Prince, the founder of the security company formerly known as Blackwater USA, now called Academi.
As Monday night’s debate wound down, Schumer said of DeVos: “She disdains public education where 90 percent of our students are.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, urging her confirmation, said it was time to “end the unprecedented delay by Democrats” on the Cabinet nominations by Trump, a Republican who took office on Jan. 20.
DeVos has been an advocate of charter schools, which operate independently of school districts and frequently are run by corporations. Democrats are concerned she will promote charter schools in a way that would undercut public schools, which have long been the anchor of the U.S. education system.
The Senate is now expected to move on to debating Trump’s choices of Senator Jeff Sessions to be attorney general, Representative Tom Price to be secretary of Health and Human Services and ex-banker Steve Mnuchin to be Treasury secretary.
All three face opposition from Senate Democrats.
Also facing a rough ride is Trump’s choice of Andrew Puzder to be secretary of labor. Puzder, the chief executive of CKE Restaurants Inc, has admitted to employing an undocumented immigrant as a house cleaner."
As somebody who was involved in homeschooling my sons for a time, I am interested in education policy and regulatory guidance. As a student of history I am interested in the government processes for confirmation and regulatory review.
"DeVos Becomes U.S. Education Secretary As Pence Breaks Tie
Betsy DeVos testifies before the Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee confirmation hearing
Betsy DeVos testifies before the Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee confirmation hearing to be next Secretary of Education on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 17, 2017. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
February 7, 2017
By Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s choice of billionaire Betsy DeVos to be education secretary was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, but only after Vice President Mike Pence was called in to break a tie that threatened to defeat her.
The tie-breaking vote, which Senate officials said was unprecedented to confirm a president’s Cabinet nominee, came after two Republicans joined with 46 Democrats and two independents in opposition to DeVos. Critics have called her unprepared to lead the Department of Education.
Following a rocky Senate confirmation hearing, Democrats have attacked DeVos as being unprepared to lead the Department of Education.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer immediately derided the proceeding.
“This cabinet nom is so unqualified, so divisive, that @MikePenceVP had to drive down Pennsylvania Ave to cast the deciding vote,” he wrote in a Twitter post after the vote.
Under the U.S. Constitution, the vice president also serves as president of the Senate, with the power to cast votes only when there are ties on nominations or legislation.
Democrats kept the Senate in session throughout Monday night debating on DeVos and in an attempt to pressure one more Republican to join in opposition to DeVos and thus defeat her.
Ultimately, only Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined the Democrats and two independents in opposition to DeVos. That left 50 Republicans supporting her in the 100-member chamber.
Historically, Cabinet nominees with weak support in the Senate ask the president to withdraw their nomination, which DeVos did not do.
DeVos is married to the heir and former CEO of Amway, which sells household and personal care items. She is also the daughter of the founders of Prince Corp, a Michigan car parts supplier and sister of Erik Prince, the founder of the security company formerly known as Blackwater USA, now called Academi.
As Monday night’s debate wound down, Schumer said of DeVos: “She disdains public education where 90 percent of our students are.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, urging her confirmation, said it was time to “end the unprecedented delay by Democrats” on the Cabinet nominations by Trump, a Republican who took office on Jan. 20.
DeVos has been an advocate of charter schools, which operate independently of school districts and frequently are run by corporations. Democrats are concerned she will promote charter schools in a way that would undercut public schools, which have long been the anchor of the U.S. education system.
The Senate is now expected to move on to debating Trump’s choices of Senator Jeff Sessions to be attorney general, Representative Tom Price to be secretary of Health and Human Services and ex-banker Steve Mnuchin to be Treasury secretary.
All three face opposition from Senate Democrats.
Also facing a rough ride is Trump’s choice of Andrew Puzder to be secretary of labor. Puzder, the chief executive of CKE Restaurants Inc, has admitted to employing an undocumented immigrant as a house cleaner."
DeVos becomes U.S. education secretary as Pence breaks tie - One America News Network
Posted from oann.comPosted in these groups: 
Government
United States Senate
Office of the Vice President (VPOTUS)
Education
Government United States Senate Office of the Vice President (VPOTUS) Education
Posted 8 y ago
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I have a feeling that she will work to end the dept of Edu, and that is a good thing. There is no legit reason for the fed gov to tell the states what to teach and how. Each state has their own dept of Edu and they can make their own decisions. Then we can compare the results from all 50 experiments and attempt to copy the best results
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Cpl Joshua Caldwell
SSG (Join to see) I have cousins in Penn Hills. That is a school that is bankrupt and on its way down. At the same time, they closed Wilkinsburg and that will help those kids a lot. Not that the city schools are good but Wilkinsburg was a drop out factory. Take Imahni (sp?) Christian in that same area, and those kids are thriving in comparison.
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MSG (Join to see)
But PCSing to another state could set my children up for disaster. Federal standards supposedly create the baseline so a second grader in Colorado won't be destroyed with poor public education if I PCS to Oklahoma.
Obviously, on the contrary, the system is extremely broken. So perhaps I live in pipe dreams. But the point of national education is an extremely valid point to ensure America's youth become.better rounded- not just from one state.
Nine times out of ten I side with states and even counties determining their own political fates... despite those beliefs, i believe some things are national issues and should be organized on a national level - like security (the military), customs/immigration, and education.
...removing education from politics would reduce poor local/state leaders with backwards policies from limited my children's education because of political views not prioritizing educarion. I'd like to PCS knowing my children aren't going to a state (where I had no.option to vote) that will hinder them.
Yes, I can supplement poor.quality of education with my job as a parent. I already do.
Yes, the system is obviously flawed right now. Is it flawed enough to eliminate federally organized education. Perhaps a better direction is needed, as opposed to no direction- survival of the fittest schooling
Obviously, on the contrary, the system is extremely broken. So perhaps I live in pipe dreams. But the point of national education is an extremely valid point to ensure America's youth become.better rounded- not just from one state.
Nine times out of ten I side with states and even counties determining their own political fates... despite those beliefs, i believe some things are national issues and should be organized on a national level - like security (the military), customs/immigration, and education.
...removing education from politics would reduce poor local/state leaders with backwards policies from limited my children's education because of political views not prioritizing educarion. I'd like to PCS knowing my children aren't going to a state (where I had no.option to vote) that will hinder them.
Yes, I can supplement poor.quality of education with my job as a parent. I already do.
Yes, the system is obviously flawed right now. Is it flawed enough to eliminate federally organized education. Perhaps a better direction is needed, as opposed to no direction- survival of the fittest schooling
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SSG (Join to see)
Cpl Joshua Caldwell - I would say that what's happening moneywise at Penn Hills does concern me. The Auditor's report was not flattering to say the least. For background, my daughter spent her 1st and 2nd grade years at Imani Christian Academy and her 3rd and currently 4th grade year at Penn Hills. Both have their pros and cons and I honestly prefer Penn Hills for her partially because she is gifted. The private school simply did not have resources to address that. Not to say it's been perfect. 3rd grade was a nightmare behavior wise even though her grades were good. Penn Hills has more to offer in terms of academic and behavioral support than Imani, which was a major selling point for transferring to Penn Hills. And the elementary school, that has helped put them so far in debt, is impressive especially when you consider the sheer amount of students present.
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Cpl Joshua Caldwell
SSG (Join to see) Brother I am telling you it is time to move. I track real estate markets locally and P Hills is in big trouble, the looming tax hikes will kill property values and chase away investment and home ownership. How do you feel about Verona? I dont know much about the gifted program at Riverview but it has to be better than what I see as the future of Penn Hills.
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I guess home schooling is back on the table for many Americans. This is a tough one to swallow especially because most of the people who wear the uniform can not afford to send our children to private schools. (something she is a strong advocate for). The only drawback i can think of for homeschooling would be a childs ability to build a strong network and exposure to the world, especially in such a globalized world. I sincerely hope her plan is to better equip public schools, pay teachers and convince the "powers that be" that our greatest investment should be in educating our children to ensure they are competitive in the next century. And this should be a right for every child and not like buying a car. (I can afford a chevy tahoe, my boss can afford a tesla)
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SGT Anna Kleinschmidt
My biggest concern is for special needs children. I am unable to have children due to my service. My husband and I adopted from foster care and our son was a drug and alcohol dependent child leaving him delayed. We have had difficulty in different areas as it is wirh getting teachers to comply with his IEP as we transferred to various duty stations but we have had the law to back us up. I am worried because if she pulls money from underfunded schools, and Sessions has made statements that he feels like children like my son are basically just in the way of other kids. What is going to happen to kids like him? This is breaking my heart.
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MAJ (Join to see)
I guess my point is that in a two parent household (the reality for many Americans) where both have a career, the whole idea becomes a little difficult. I don't believe my knowledge and understanding dwarfs a paid and educated professional who is properly equipped, funded and motivated to tech my child. I do agree we need to do something to make public education better across the country.SSG(P) (Join to see) -
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MAJ (Join to see)
You bring up interesting points that i actually disagree with directly. I have learned that the "networks" built in the pursuit of education are usually life long and as strong as one formed through military service or clubs like the scouts. I think a child learns the value of networks there.
As far as not everyone needs college, I agree with a Caveat. The world in 2036 would require my plumber to have a different set of skills than was required of my plumber in 1996. I think we keep trying to go back to the Industrial Age model instead of anticipating and planning for the future. Everyone does not need college, but all our kids may need to understand basic programming to be able to compete in the job markets of 2040.
We do agree that the parents need to discipline their own children so at least we agree on something. Lol Cpl Jeff N. -
As far as not everyone needs college, I agree with a Caveat. The world in 2036 would require my plumber to have a different set of skills than was required of my plumber in 1996. I think we keep trying to go back to the Industrial Age model instead of anticipating and planning for the future. Everyone does not need college, but all our kids may need to understand basic programming to be able to compete in the job markets of 2040.
We do agree that the parents need to discipline their own children so at least we agree on something. Lol Cpl Jeff N. -
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Cpl Jeff N.
MAJ (Join to see) - You might be surprised at your ability to teach your child as well as many/most teachers especially in their younger years. one on one vs 25+ to one is a huge differentiator. We talk about classroom size all the time. Home schools offer the smallest of all. A lot of teaching is knowing the material and having a desire to make a difference in the kids life through education. I think you would likely posses those for your own kids.
on the college education. Skills and technology do change but much of that can be addressed through trade schools and training through employers. Think about our automobiles. They technology in them is much more significant than 30+ years ago but the mechanics (now technicians) keep up. They keep up through on going training and practical application, normally at their employer or a trade school.
on the college education. Skills and technology do change but much of that can be addressed through trade schools and training through employers. Think about our automobiles. They technology in them is much more significant than 30+ years ago but the mechanics (now technicians) keep up. They keep up through on going training and practical application, normally at their employer or a trade school.
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