John,
Shortly after President Trump concluded his State of the Union address, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos put out a statement praising the president's statements advocating for "school choice."
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Devos' language sure does sound a lot like Ms. Arntzen's when she talks about education. Just last week she celebrated "School Choice Week" and made it clear she is not fit to run the Office of Public Instruction.
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Let's get this straight: "school choice" is a phrase that covers a variety of efforts to privatize public education, from failed voucher programs to expensive private charter schools. These schemes prioritize profits over the best interests of our children and are not transparent or accountable. At least $1 billion taxpayer dollars have been wasted on charter schools that closed or never opened in the last decade alone.
And while the CEOs of private schools get rich on our dime, school districts across Montana are struggling to fund basic necessities for our kids. From Stevensville to Helena to Billings, superintendents are being forced to cut vital staff and programs from their budgets due to a lack of funding.
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I stand with the majority of Montanans in rejecting the privatization agenda of Betsy DeVos and her counterpart, Elsie Arntzen. Republicans and Democrats alike support funding public education and know our children deserve better than to have their future left up to chance.
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With your help, I will make certain Ms. Arntzen cannot bring Betsy Devos's harmful agenda to Montana. We will restore leadership to the Office of Public Instruction and create a brighter future for all our children.
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Thank you for your support,
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