Some Tennessee teachers and education advocates say President Donald Trump's…

Education Secretary-designate Betsy DeVos arrives before testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 17 at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

((extracted from the article: Paul Conn’s support for Betsy Devos))

Paul Conn, president of Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., has known DeVos and her family for decades and said she is the perfect person for the job.

“Betsy DeVos comes from a family of people who are interested in education,” Conn said. The DeVos family is a major donor to Lee, and the university’s College of Education is named after Helen DeVos, Betsy DeVos’ mother-in-law.

Conn described Betsy DeVos as smart, energetic and well-organized, and said if leading the U.S. Department of Education is a skill that can be acquired, she’ll quickly catch on.

DeVos’ lack of experience in public education should be weighed against these traits, he said, as several of Trump’s appointments were selected because they are good decision-makers, and not necessarily for their experience in a given field.

“It will be a steep learning curve, but [DeVos] is up to the challenge,” Conn said.

As the president of a private university, Conn said he appreciates that DeVos understands the private sector and wants it to be more effectively mobilized, understanding that it’s “a very powerful motor in American life.”

And he admires DeVos for her willingness to serve in this role.

“I think it’s motivated purely out of motivation to serve her country and the public,” he said.

[http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/local/story/2017/jan/28/divided-devos-local-critics-supporters-weigh/409922/]

Some Tennessee teachers and education advocates say President Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. education secretary, Betsy DeVos, is an enemy of public education.