Senate

Warren vows to pick ex-public school teacher as Education secretary

by Jordain Carney - 05/13/19 1:30 PM ET

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) vowed on Monday that she will pick a former public school teacher to lead the Department of Education if she wins the White House in 2020.

“In a Warren administration, we’ll have a secretary of Education who is committed to public education. In fact, I’ll double down on that: I will only appoint for secretary of Education someone who has been a public school teacher,” Warren said in a video posted to Twitter on Monday.

{mosads}Warren, a former law professor, is one of several Democrats running for the White House in 2020 and looking for ways to differentiate themselves in the crowded field.

Education groups have been a potent area for Democrats, with two of the largest teacher unions, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, donating heavily to Democrats and progressives.

Warren’s pledge on Monday came as she was slamming Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s Education secretary, whom she called a “terrible secretary of Education.”

“But that shouldn’t be any surprise. She doesn’t really believe in public education,” Warren said in the video.

Warren added in an email to supporters that DeVos “is the worst Secretary of Education we’ve seen. 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 in the video sought to contrast the individual she will pick if she wins the White House with Trump’s secretary, saying there needed to be “structural change.”

“You know, we need someone who understands firsthand the needs of our students, the needs of our teachers, the needs of our schools, the needs of our districts, the needs of our communities,” she said. “That’s how we build a future for all of our kids.”

Tags Betsy DeVos Department of Education Donald Trump Education Secretary Elizabeth Warren