Go Betsy DeVos

I don't know anyone who hasn't accepted Donald J. Trump as the legitimately elected president of the United States. I don't know anyone who is "fit to be tied," and I don't think you have to be a "hater" to question Betsy DeVos' selection to be secretary of education. Over the past few decades, Mrs. DeVos' views on education -- that government should play no role in it and that American students should all attend private schools paid for entirely by parents -- has been well-recorded. It's not unAmerican or unpatriotic or anti-Trump to wonder how a person who is so anti-pubic education plans to handle a job that has public education as its focus. No one persecuted Betsy DeVos. No one has asked that she undergo anything other than the normal vetting process. She was nominated to that post by a president We have no dictators. Finally, I'd like to thank the McCook Gazette, one of the Democrats' "bosom buddies," for publishing your letter and allowing me to respond.

Betsy DeVos has no respect for children, their parents nor public education in general. She has NO place in the position of Secretary of Education and NO experience. Just like our current president. God help us all.

Once again Rural Citizen has posted more unsubstantiated trip.

The whining is monuMENTAL.

Unsubstantiated? I don't think so. Look at her resume and the 7 reasons Trump picked her. She doesn't support public school education. Can you afford to send your children to private school?

http://www.newsweek.com/seven-things-know-about-education-pick-betsy-devos-52594...

How sad that taking away students rights and securing equal education for disabled or highly abled students is applauded. Nutritional food is no longer ensured under the programs she is repealing..no English as a second language will be afforded to families that need this service...NOT a lot to be happy about. Sacraficing public education on the Trump altar is a disgrace to us as a nation.

Betsy Devos has begun her catastrophic destruction of public schools. Please call your US House Representative now and ask them to vote NO on House Bill 610 the Choices in Education Act.

This bill will effectively start the defunding process of public schools, in hand with eliminating student rights and programs that address poverty, etc. It also takes away nutritional standards for school lunches.

The bill will eliminate the Elementary and Education Act of 1965, which is the nation's educational law and provides equal opportunity in education. ESSA is a big comprehensive program that covers programs for struggling learners, AP classes, ESL programs, programs for students of color including Native Americans; as well as Rural Education, Education for Students who are Homeless, School Safety (Gun-Free schools), Monitoring and Compliance and Federal Accountability for these and other Programs. The bill also abolishes the Nutritional Act of 2012 (No Hungry Kids Act) which provides nutritional standards and funding to states for in-school breakfast and lunch.

Some things ESSA does for Children with Disabilities:

-Ensures access to the general education curriculum

-Ensures access to needed accommodations (e.g. larger print, additional time) on assessments

-Ensures use of principles of "Universal Design for Learning" in materials and instruction so that all have curriculum access and ability to learn

-Includes provisions that require school districts to use research-based instruction and curriculum in schools, especially with students who represent groups that have been consistently "underperforming" or underachieving.

-ESSA also requires that states write Title I (ESSA granted federal funds to assist students and schools in poverty) plans to address how they will improve conditions for learning including: reducing incidents of bullying and harassment in schools, reducing overuse of punitive discipline practices and reducing the use of aversive behavioral interventions (such as restraints and seclusion).

All of this goes away if ESSA does.

The bill also repeals the nutritional standards for school breakfast and lunches that include providing fruit, low fat milk, less fats, more whole grains, etc.

If you want to make calls but are nervous or unsure about what to say on the phone (for this or for any other issue,) you can always keep it simple and just state your name, your zip code, and then say "I'm calling to oppose House Bill 610, The Choices in Education Act, introduced in the house."