Tester Has Concerns About Ed Nominee

Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester has some concerns about President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education.  With a confirmation hearing for nominee Betsy DeVos slated for next week, her advocacy for school choice initiatives in Detroit has taken center stage.  DeVos is a Michigan billionaire and longtime private education activist in Michigan, where she helped establish one of the largest charter-school programs in the nation.  She has consistently advocated for using public money to pay for private education.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, met with DeVos in separate meetings Thursday.  Her hearing is slated for Jan. 11.  DeVos supports the A-PLUS Act, which would allow states to opt out of federal accountability programs and receive their federal funding in the form of block grants, which would allow schools to spend the money with greater discretion.  Federal funds are often tied to specific programs.  The amendment to the Every Student Succeeds Act failed.