A Piece of History as VP is Required to Cast Vote in Confirmation of Sec. of Ed.

History was made this morning as Vice President Pence was required to cast the deciding vote to confirm Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. The Senate was split down the middle, 50-50, as two republican senators listened to their constituents and voted against their party's nominee.

As stated in my previous blog post, Democrats held the floor for 24-hours in an attempt to convince just one more republican senator to vote no in the confirmation hearing. Unfortunately, their efforts did not have an effect and the votes were cast as predicted.

I was able to watch some of the session prior to the vote and several senators spoke about their public school experiences. One senator stuck out to me, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D - Hawaii), spoke about coming to America and not knowing any English. The public school system and teachers helped her learn English and encouraged her love of reading. Not only was Senator Hirono an immigrant but she is a product of public schools - she has a classic American story - and now serves her country representing her constituents of Hawaii.

Many of my concerns for Betsy DeVos' nomination are stated in my blog post Department of Ed. - Secretary of Education.

The Scary Mommy blog also posted some ways that you can get involved and stay informed as Betsy DeVos takes her place.

One thing to keep in mind if you are a Colorado resident is that vouchers have been deemed unconstitutional in the state. In 2015 the Supreme Court of Colorado said the Douglas County voucher program "violated a plank of the State Constitution that explicitly prevents public money from going to schools 'controlled by any church or sectarian denomination whatsoever,' "
Here is the New York Times report on this issue: Colorado court rules use of public funds for private use is unconstitutional 

Colorado has many non-profit charter schools that offer an alternative choice for students in need.

Thank you for reading!