Defend Public Ed: Take Action NOW!

In President Elect Trump's continuous effort to "drain the swamp", he has nominated Betsy DeVos as our next Secretary of Education. Who is she? Well, if we're talking "swamp-draining", let's just say that DeVos is about as swampy a swamp monster as you can get. Not only does she have zero public education experience, she and her husband are big donors to the GOP as well as organizations supporting vouchers, right-to-work laws, anti-gay marriage and school choice. With connections to Blackwater, The American Enterprise Institute, The Heritage Foundation, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, and the Alliance for School Choice to name a few, she's a Washington insider of considerable pedigree.

Mother Crusader posted an in-depth piece on her yesterday. Here's just one image from the post showing how deeply DeVos is sewn into the fabric of DC:

The possibility of having her as Secretary of Education makes me long for the days of (dare I say it?) Arne Duncan. 

So, what can you do besides reading and sharing Mother Crusader's post? Here are a few more things:

1. Join the Thunderclap started by the Badass Teachers Association by clicking on this link:
2. Read and share the BATs press release on DeVos
3. Sign and share this letter to your US Senator started by Carol Burris of the Network for Public Education
4. Call your US Senator and tell him or her to vote No on DeVos's nomination. It's not enough just to write. You need to follow up with a phone call.
   - Sen. Cory Booker (NJ): (973) 639-8700
   - Sen. Robert Menendez (NJ): (973) 645-3030
   - Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (PA): (202) 224-6324
   - Sen. Pat Toomey (PA): (202) 224-4254 
5. Follow the Network for Public Education (NPE) on Facebook and Twitter and participate in the actions they organize.
6. And of course, continue educating your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers on the dangers of privatization. 

Hope to see many of you in Washington on January 21st!