Elizabeth Warren takes aim at Besty DeVos: ‘She’s the worst education secretary ever’

This Monday, Democratic presidential candidate and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren took aim at Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, calling her the “worst” education secretary the U.S. has yet seen and vowing to replace her with a real teacher if she’s elected president.

“Betsy DeVos is the worst Secretary of Education we’ve seen,” she wrote in an email to her supporters. “She and her team are up to their eyeballs in conflicts of interest. Instead of championing our students, they protect for-profit colleges that break the law and cheat them.”

Warren promised that if she’s elected president, she’ll appoint a former public school teacher as education secretary.

“Let’s get a person with real teaching experience,” she wrote. “A person who understands how low pay, tattered textbooks, and crumbling classrooms hurt students and educators.”

BuzzFeed News reports that Warren sent the email before a meeting in Philadelphia with the American Federation of Teachers.

Warren’s announcement was a sign of how Betsy DeVos, President Donald Trump’s education secretary, has become a rallying point for Democrats on the campaign trail — a figure who, more than any other Trump administration figure, draws boos and hisses at Democratic rallies across the country.

DeVos, who has been a lightning rod since the day of her confirmation hearing in January 2017, has been criticized by Democrats for a lack of experience in public education. A wealthy Trump donor, she spent a career as a philanthropist promoting the expansion of charter, private, and religious schools in Michigan.

According to recent reports, Warren seems to be striking a chord with voters on the campaign trail by “not acting like a politician.”

“She talks to a lot of people, but I feel like whatever she does in her stump speech, it moves you. It sneaks up on you,” said Penny Rosfjord, of Sioux City, a member of the Iowa Democratic Party’s state central committee, according to Business Insider. “I wasn’t ready for her to be as passionate as she was.”

Warren has seen positive results in two national polls released last week and is reportedly drawing notable crowds in Iowa. Speaking to Business Insider, the president of the Linn Phoenix Club in Cedar Rapids said the crowd that came out to see her was much bigger than any they’d seen for a political rally.

Featured image: Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.