My son Jack is a spunky, determined, charismatic six-year-old. He plays baseball, basketball and soccer. He swims and reads and dances. Jack has Down syndrome, but that doesn’t define him. It’s one of the things that makes Jack awesome. And Jack is one of the things that makes his school awesome. Jack attends our local public school—and thanks to an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), Jack is thriving. But Trump’s nominee for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, would put Jack’s education—and the education of millions of other students with special needs—at risk. During her Senate testimony, Ms. DeVos seemed to have no knowledge of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), the federal law that ensures students with learning challenges get the support and assistance they need to thrive. Jack’s IEP is specially tailored to his “individual” academic and functional goals. He knows that the books he reads were chosen for his reading level, that his physical therapist helps him keep up with his friends and that his speech therapist supports his behavioral goals by giving him language to function appropriately in his classroom. Our sons—Jack and his big brother Griffin—are able to attend the same wonderful public school, thanks to the extra help Jack receives through IDEA. Jack’s teachers and classmates don’t see squinty eyes, extra chromosomes and noisy footsteps—they see Jack’s strengths and weaknesses, his favorite activities, his charm. And Jack gets to learn and grow with kids of all capabilities and from all backgrounds, too. When we were working to get Jack’s IEP approved, I remember telling my teacher friends that I felt like I was also advocating for our amazing schools. I knew that having Jack there would make our amazing schools even awesomer, and that has come to fruition. That school rallies around our guy and supports him so much, and having that kind of diversity--whether across abilities, economic classes, races, or interests--is so vital to our public schools and our democracy. But if Betsy DeVos—who has called our public schools a “dead end”—is confirmed, public schools will be in grave danger. It’s not just that she doesn’t know or care about the federal laws that provide extra help for kids like Jack. It’s that she doesn’t believe in public education. DeVos wants to make our schools into a marketplace, pushing private school vouchers and for-profit charter schools. Her ideas will result in the defunding of the neighborhood public schools like Jack’s—and as parents select specialized schools, families like ours will be left with a no-win choice. In our neighborhood public school, our kids are exposed to so many different kinds of learners, ethnicities, backgrounds, races, and differences of every kind. That helps them learn tolerance and acceptance, and build the skills to interact with people from all different backgrounds. if people choose schools based on specialties, Jack will end up at a special school for kids with disabilities or as a "leftover" in his public school. Schools will lack the cultural and sociological diversity that emulates the real world. And students at the other schools will have no idea as to how to interact with the disability community. Betsy DeVos doesn’t care about kids like Jack—she can’t even be bothered to learn about the federal laws that make it possible for Jack to thrive in our neighborhood public school. Her vision will hurt all of our kids, and especially kids with special needs. Ashley Meier Barlow, Fort Thomas, Kentucky

There are five remaining traditional public schools in New Orleans. All five of the remaining traditional public schools are high-achieving schools, with veteran teachers and principals. Several are open admissions schools and serve a diverse student body. The Orleans Parish School Board plans to convert these schools to charter schools for no reason other than to finalize the vision of education reformers. Chartering the five remaining traditional public schools will further erode and destroy one of the first truly democratic institutions in our nation: the public school. Charter management organizations will gain control over millions of dollars with little to no direct accountability and oversight by the public. Children and parents stand to lose access to their schools as new charter management organizations have full authority to impose admissions and selection criteria. Teachers and administrators are disposable as well. OPSB has not given a rationale for converting these successful schools to charters other than it is within their purview to do so. In unveiling this plan a week before winter break, they have limited public access and skirted public meetings laws. Please join us in raising your voice to save the remaining five public schools in New Orleans. It is hypocritical for education reformers to celebrate choice by eliminating choice for families and making charter schools the ONLY choice for public education in New Orleans. This move by Orleans Parish School Board and education reformers in New Orleans, to charter all the schools, aligns with the vision and stated commitments of Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education, Betty DeVos, an enemy of public education. Please help us fight for public education in New Orleans and across the state of Louisiana. NO MORE CHARTERS! SAVE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS! SAY NO TO BETTY DEVOS-STYLE EDUCATION! SAY NO TO PRIVATIZING PUBLIC EDUCATION!

Crescent Elementary should not be shut down. Crescent is NOT a failing school. Though Crescent is part of the Council Bluffs Community School District, it is an independent township and should be considered with exceptional treatment. Closure could hinder economic growth in our small town, as the school is a huge incentive for new families to move and stay in Crescent. It's been a part of our town's identity since 1901. The superintendent intends to have former Crescent students bused, as far as 7 miles, to influx Lewis and Clark Elementary's student body with 44% more students. The school board should consider finding other options to help improve enrollment to meet their acceptable attendance standards, as this is the reason they are voting to shutter the doors. The Iowa Department of Education's School Report Card rated Crescent as "Commendable". The school building had a complete renovation in 2007. Crescent IS an outstanding school, a National Blue Ribbon Award winner and should remain open.

As a parent of two young kids, I'm so grateful for PBS Kids, which provides free shows and games my kids love--and helps them learn. But news reports say that for the third year in a row, Donald Trump's team is planning on slashing funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a primary funder of PBS. In his 2020 budget proposal, the federal government would cut funding to CPB by 90% in the first year alone. PBS Kids includes so many great shows, like Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Thomas and Friends, and Dinosaur Train. PBS Kids and other public media reach 68% of all kids age two to eight. These shows are especially important for low-income and underserved children who do not attend pre-school. PBS funding is a minuscule fraction of the federal budget. **We should be expanding our investments in early childhood education, not cutting proven supports for our littlest learners.** Donald Trump can't make these cuts unless Congress agrees. Let's make sure they hear from millions of parents and others who know the value of PBS and CPB. Please share this and help my organization, ParentsTogether Action, spread the word!!

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions is scheduled to vote on her January 31st. We feel that she does not have the knowledge, the experience or the skills necessary to be the Secretary of Education. Her direction would create segregated schools and increase the gap between people who have money and those who don't. She is not knowledgeable about special education laws and other programs to implement federally required programs.

As a retired Early Childhood Educator (40 years) I am most concerned about billionaire De Vos' nomination. I can't support someone who has had NO classroom experience. I won't support a billionaire whose life experiences are so far removed from the overwhelming majority of families whose children attend our nation's schools.

Devos has little to non experience in running public educational institutions, nor teaching or heading any major organization. She has affirmed allowing guns in schools and agrees that defunding public schools is a possibility. My son attends public school and already suffers from a lack of reseources necessary to obtaining a quality education so that he can compete for acceptance to a quality University. Defunding schools is the same as defunding our children and future. Sign, to tell our State Representative to say no to defunding our future!

My family, like millions of families with children with disabilities across the country, depends on the protections and supports offered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that allow our son with autism to attend public school, gaining the education and skills he needs to achieve his full potential in life. This generation of young people with disabilities and their families should not have to worry about a return to policies that systematically excluded and denied children like ours before this law was passed and enforced.

I am a student at GIHS in Grand Island, NY, and I personally am desperate for a better sleep at night based on my needs as a teen! The decision of what time school should start and end should not be manipulated because of extracurricular activities, but they should be changed based on the needs of the kids! After all, if school is for the education of kids, why strip quality learning and understanding away by early school hours? Please sign and spread the word! We are very thankful for your support.

I'm a school board member and father of 3 kids in public schools in west Michigan, Betsy's home turf. Her ultimate goal is the total dismantling of public education in favor of a Calvinist Christian Reformed education.

I live on the lands of the Ohlone People and believe they deserve Federal and State "Recognition" .

It is appalling that a person with such extremely bigoted viewpoints is serving on a school board! Where the schools of New York State are exemplary in our commitment to protect students from racist bullying, a hateful individual who has made such remarks as to wish the death of a President and to undermine a First Lady who are esteemed by countless Americans is absolutely unqualified as a leader on a school board.