Over 2,740 Calvin College Alums Formally Oppose Alum Betsy DeVos for US Ed Sec. VIEW PRESS RELEASE AND LETTER HERE.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OVER 2,750 CALVIN COLLEGE ALUMNI OPPOSE DEVOS NOMINATION
January 27, 2017GRAND RAPIDS – Today, members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions will receive a letter outlining opposition to the nomination of Betsy DeVos for U.S.
Secretary of Education from alumni of her own undergraduate institution. The letter is signed
by over 2,750 students at and alumni of Calvin College, a small, Christian liberal arts college
located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The letter notes the value of the shared educational
experiences held in common by the alumni signatories and DeVos herself. It then outlines four
key concerns about DeVos’ qualifications for the position, summarized below:1) We believe that the position of the Secretary of Education requires the individual to have
an intimate knowledge of the tools used by educators. In this regard Mrs. DeVos does
not qualify.2) We believe we believe that any individual who is nominated to be Secretary of Education
should have a strong commitment to public education, which Mrs. DeVos does not.3) We believe that Mrs. DeVos’ commitment to education is limited to her advocacy of and
financial contributions to religious and charter schools.4) We believe that Mrs. DeVos lacks appropriate respect/concern for the federal guidelines
that make educational accessible to all.This action began as a personal effort by Sara Moslener, a Calvin alumna who is now a
university professor in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Following coverage in the Calvin College student
newspaper, Chimes, interest in the letter grew rapidly, generating more far more signatures
than initially expected.Many alumni shared expressions of pride in their affiliation with Calvin College in the process of
attaching their name to this initiative, and Mrs. DeVos’ family and the Princes, her family of
origin, have long been benefactors of Calvin College. However, letter organizer Sara Moslener
says, “My gratitude for their generosity to the college cannot excuse me from opposing an
educational platform that does not serve our country’s common good.”For further information: Sara Moslener, saramoslener23@gmail.com# #
TO VIEW THE 23-PAGE LETTER WITH OVER 2,750 SIGNATURES, CLICK HERE.
Over 2,740 Calvin College Alums Formally Oppose Alum Betsy DeVos for US Ed Sec. VIEW PRESS RELEASE AND LETTER HERE. | deutsch29: