Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today announced her opposition to the nomination of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education:

“I oppose the nomination of Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary because I believe she is unqualified to serve our nation’s students in that important role. Californians feel the same way—I have received 95,000 calls, emails and letters opposing her nomination.

“I support parents’ right to choose the best school for their children and believe that different models provide students with more individualized experiences tailored to their needs. However, in order to succeed, these models require strict accountability. Schools must be accredited, well-managed, have proper fiscal controls and be transparent regarding student performance.

“Betsy DeVos has a long history of opposing strong oversight and accountability standards. That is deeply troubling to me. Mrs. DeVos has also never worked in the classroom or as a school administrator and has no background in public education, which remains the foundation of our education system. I simply don’t believe she’s the right person to oversee the education of our nation’s children. They deserve better.”