[Magdalen] Fwd: Thank you for your message

Sat Feb 4 03:41:47 UTC 2017

Well this is odd - just as I read Scott's note about calling his senators
this appeared in my inbox.

Another Sally Davies clearly...I hope she got this. Gmail can be generous
in sharing mail between people with the same name. There's at least one in
the UK and one in New Zealand whose mail I sometimes get.

Anyway, a good reply, good for the Senator and my namesake for complaining

Sally D
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Senator Gary Peters <Senator at peters.senate.gov>
Date: Sat, 04 Feb 2017 at 12:49 AM
Subject: Thank you for your message
To: <sallydavies at gmail.com>

February 3, 2017

Dear Mr. Vanscoy,

     Thank you for contacting me about President-elect Donald Trump’s
appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. I appreciate you
taking the time to express your views. Your input is, and will always be,
welcomed and appreciated.

     As a product of Michigan public schools, the son of a high school
teacher, and a father of three children who have attended Michigan public
schools, I know firsthand the importance of a strong education system. I
believe early childhood, quality K-12, and affordable higher education must
be accessible and affordable for all students. Investments in every level
of education must provide students with the skills they need to compete and
succeed in the 21st century global environment.

     Michigan has been devoted to great public education for generations—a
commitment that stretches back to even before the founding of our state.
Some of our earliest pioneers settled under the guidance of the Northwest
Ordinance, which states “schools and the means of education shall forever
be encouraged.” We have strived to live up to this creed ever since, not
only for our young children but also our young adults. The University of
Michigan became one of the first public universities in the nation, and
Michigan State University became one of the first land-grant universities.
Our numerous public preschool programs, K-12 schools, community colleges,
colleges, and universities have kept America on the cutting edge of
innovation throughout history. We must take every step we can to preserve
access to these critical educational institutions.

     I am committed to protecting learning opportunities for all students.
I voted for the Every Student Succeeds Act, which reauthorized the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act and was signed into law in December
2015. During the consideration of this bill, I joined a bipartisan group of
colleagues to successfully defeat an amendment that sought to shift funding
for low-income students away from public schools to private schools. The
Every Student Succeeds Act will ensure that our public school educators
have access to the resources they need to serve all children, including
students with disabilities, English language learners, and youth from
low-income communities. It is important to me that the next Secretary of
Education supports our public school system and upholds these values.

     One of the most important responsibilities of the U.S. Senate is to
review and confirm the President’s Cabinet nominations. A nominee for
Secretary of Education should have strong qualifications, sound character,
relevant experience, and a deep commitment to improving public education in
the United States.

     In 2000, Ms. DeVos championed a failed Michigan ballot proposal that
would have amended our state’s constitution to create a voucher system for
students to attend nonpublic schools. She most recently served as Chairman
of the American Federation for Children, an organization with the primary
mission of advocating for directing public funds to private and charter
school systems.

     I am deeply troubled by privately-owned or privately-run schools using
taxpayer dollars intended for public schools, especially because federal
provisions that hold schools accountable and help prevent discrimination
against certain groups of students do not apply to these types of private
programs. Because of Ms. DeVos’ history in Michigan working for policies
that would hurt public schools, I cannot support her nomination. I believe
she has the wrong approach to improving our nation’s schools and helping
all American children succeed. On January 24, 2017, I spoke on the Senate
floor in opposition to Ms. DeVos’ nomination, and you can view my remarks
here
<https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&cid=GPeters&crop=15916.12195058.7747399.9608519&report_id=&redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.peters.senate.gov%2fnewsroom%2fpress-releases%2fpeters-remarks-in-opposition-of-betsy-devos-for-education-secretary&redir_log=340153838881859>
.

     Thank you again for contacting me. I always enjoy hearing from you and
hope that you take the time to contact me again soon. For more information,
please feel free to visit my website, http://www.peters.senate.gov
<https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&cid=GPeters&crop=15916.12195058.7747399.9608519&report_id=&redirect=http%3a%2f%2fwww.peters.senate.gov%2f&redir_log=44163781532203>,
or find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @SenGaryPeters.

Sincerely,

Gary C. Peters
United States Senator

*Follow Senator Peters:
<https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&cid=GPeters&crop=15916.12195058.7747399.9608519&report_id=&redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.facebook.com%2fSenatorGaryPeters&redir_log=447166734212300>
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