{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/whitehouse-gathers-ri-feedback-on-education-secretary-nominee", "Whitehouse Gathers RI Feedback on Education Secretary Nominee", "2016-12-15", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "RI", "Sheldon Whitehouse", "W000802", "www.whitehouse.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.15.16\n\t\t\t Whitehouse Gathers RI Feedback on Education Secretary Nominee \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Rhode Islanders raise questions about Betsy DeVos\u2019 record on public education\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t Providence, RI \u2013 U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse yesterday convened more than a dozen Rhode Islanders who have a stake in public education to gather feedback on the President-elect\u2019s nomination of Betsy DeVos to lead the U.S. Department of Education.\u00a0 Whitehouse is a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which is expected to hold a confirmation hearing for DeVos in January.\r\n\u201cI\u2019m grateful to all those who joined me to discuss the qualities Rhode Islanders are looking for in a Secretary of Education who will position our children for success,\u201d said Whitehouse.\u00a0 \u201cPresident-elect Trump has nominated Betsy DeVos, a billionaire whose views on education seem to be out of line with many Rhode Islanders\u2019 values, to set federal education policy.\u00a0 The President-elect seems to fill his cabinet with ultra-wealthy individuals with ties to political special interests.\u00a0 The needs of Rhode Island students, parents, and educators will be front and center as I prepare for the hearing on this nomination.\u201d\r\nRhode Islanders who took part in the discussion at the University of Rhode Island\u2019s Feinstein Providence Campus included teachers, administrators, charter school advocates, and representatives from organizations, including the RI Middle Level Educators, Providence Student Union, College Crusade, RI Kids Count, RIFTHP, NEARI,\u00a0and the Providence After School Alliance.\u00a0 Participants raised questions about DeVos\u2019 qualifications, her support for deregulated low-performing charter schools, her advocacy for private school vouchers, and her stance on the role of teacher unions, among other topics.\r\n\u201cBetsy DeVos does not have the qualifications to lead our nation's schools having never attended or been employed in a public school or district,\u201d said Barbara Pellegrino, a first grade teacher in Warwick Public Schools and a recent recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.\u00a0 \u201cShe does not hold a degree in education. The students who attend our public school deserve an advocate who will work to strengthen our educational system, not one who wants to destroy it.\u201d\r\n\u201cWith regard to higher education issues, Betsy DeVos is an unknown quantity,\u201d said Andrew Bramson, President and CEO of the College Crusade of Rhode Island.\u00a0 \u201cAs a result, we must be ready to advocate for first generation and underrepresented college students here in Rhode Island.\u00a0 This means speaking vocally about the importance of Pell grants and college access programs that help students graduate from college and contribute to our state\u2019s economic growth.\u201d\r\n\u201cDeVos\u2019 public track record and anticipated vision of for-profit charter schools and private school vouchers runs counter to what is positive and powerful about the charter movement \u2013 that we are public, non-profit schools, accountable to the public for our management and results,\u201d said Sarah Friedman and Meg O'Leary, co-directors of The Learning Community, a K-8 charter school in Central Falls.\r\nConstituents are encouraged to share thoughts about or questions for any of the President-elect\u2019s nominations with Whitehouse via his website, whitehouse.senate.gov, or by calling his office at (401) 453-5294.\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/whitehouse-gathers-ri-feedback-on-education-secretary-nominee"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.302560092881322, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}