The Board of Education for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools approved a resolution last Thursday to oppose the nomination of Betsy DeVos for secretary of education.

The resolution claims that DeVos has “a track record that is antithetical to public education” and “a long history of promoting low-performing alternatives.”

James Barrett, the chair of the board, concurred with those claims while introducing the resolution to board members.

“I am particularly appalled at her lack of involvement in public education,” he stated.

DeVos has advocated for the public funding of private schools as the founder of the Federation for American Children, a non-profit organization that supports school choice initiatives.

While speaking on the resolution, board member Margaret Samuels claimed that this type of advocacy may lead to the commercialization of the education system.

“There was talk of the program in Florida that funds a voucher-like system,” she explained. “Companies could pay for scholarships in private schools and then get tax breaks.”

UNC President Margaret Spellings, who served as the secretary of education under former President George W. Bush, rejected that claim in an interview with CBS News.

“I think the question is ‘where can we find the best education for students,’ not ‘what’s the name on the door,'” she mused.

Spellings suggested that DeVos is promoting a student-centered approach to education that is congruent with the priorities of the Department of Education.

“This is the era of states and local districts; this where the action is,” noted Spellings. “I think [DeVos] is going to pursue a deregulation agenda.”

The only board member to reject the resolution was Andrew Davidson, whose opposition came from a stance that may be unrelated to DeVos.

“I agree with you guys on Betsy Devos; I’m just going to make my stand here,” he cited.

A final vote on DeVos for secretary of education is expected to take place this week on the floor of the US Senate.

Photo by CNN Staff.

Related Stories
‹
UNC President Monitoring Review of Title IX College Campus Sexual Assault Guidelines
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced earlier this month in a speech that the Department of Education will review and possibly replace Obama-era guidance on college campus sexual assault cases. In the speech, given at George Mason University, DeVos calls a 2011 Obama Administration letter titled “Dear Colleague Letter” a “failed system” under Title IX […]
UNC President Margaret Spellings Signs Letter to Congress in Support of DACA Recipients
Earlier this month, the Trump Administration announced plans to terminate DACA, an Obama program that gave 800,000 young undocumented immigrants permits to stay in the US legally. UNC President Margaret Spellings, former Secretary of Education to George W. Bush, has come out in support of DACA recipients. “I joined with a bipartisan group of former […]
Revised Living Wage Policy Approved by Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
The Board of Education for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools unanimously approved a revised living wage policy for full-time employees and contractors on January 19. The policy aims to keep district salaries congruent with living wage estimates from Orange County Living Wage, a non-profit group that encourages voluntary payroll compliance from employers. Those estimates came from […]
CHCCS Selects New Superintendent
Dr. Pamela Baldwin is officially the new superintendent of Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. Picking a new superintendent has been a task the CHCCS Board of Education has worked on since August, when Tom Forcella retired. The board named Dr. Jim Causby interim superintendent, while members searched to fill the role permanently by January. The board […]
Speaking of Schools: Chief Human Resource Officer Ashauna Harris
Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools Chief Human Resources Officer Dr. Ashauna Harris spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Monday, September 15. She discussed the district starting the year a 98 percent staffing, with the bulk of the open positions being Teaching Assistant positions. She talked about which community members qualify for those roles and who might be a good fit. She discussed teacher recruitment and retention practices, and what the next portion of the school year looks like for district Human Resources. Find more on open positions at CHCCS here.
Student Fights at East Chapel Hill High School Injure 5 Staff Members; Incidents Under Investigation
A pair of fights between students at East Chapel Hill High School on Friday led to several responding staff injuries and disruption.
Former School Improvement Team Parent Chair Melinda Manning Runs for CHCCS School Board
Melinda Manning, formerly of Carrboro High School's school improvement team, detailed her candidacy for the CHCCS Board of Education.
CHCCS Board Holds Preliminary Conversation for Hypothetical Elementary School Closure
The Board of Education for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools recently met to hear a presentation about closing one of its elementary schools.
CHCCS Superintendent Trice Shares Excitement, Details New Cellphone Policy Ahead of New School Year
Monday will mark the first CHCCS school year under Superintendent Rodney Trice's leadership. He joined 97.9 The Hill to discuss.
Speaking of Schools: CHCCS Superintendent Rodney Trice on the New School Year
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Superintendent Rodney Trice joins 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell on Tuesday, August 19.
›