her husband's family founded "amway" and the couple are longtime republican donors. democrats and teachers groups opposed devos' nomination -- citing a perceived lack of experience and her advocacy for school vouchers and charter schools. after that historic confirmation in the u-s senate, many public school advocates voiced their displeasure with devos's new role. however-- supporters say devos has been a champion of what's called educational choice, which in part uses public funds to help students attend private and religious schools. devos also choice in washington dc. in fact some 40-thousand students attend charter schools in the nation's capital. two former presidential candidates took the stage last night to debate one of the nation's most important issues-- healthcare. vermont senator bernie sanders and texas senator ted cruz, took part in a town hall meeting last night on cnn. the two traded shots about several health-related issues, including, of course, the affordable care act. senator sanders favors a single-payer federal health care system -- with the go

her family founded amway. they are long time republican donors. democrats cited a lack of experience school vouchers and charter schools. jonathan: lawmakers tried to block that confirmation and protesters have taken to the streets. some educators now say they are worried now that it's official. jay korff has with some teachers are talking about. jay: i just got off the phone with the washington teachers union. she believes that betsy devos will literally try to dismantle the public school system. the president of the mayor confederation of teachers said towardsows antipathy public schools and a lack of basic understanding of what children need to receive in school, but not everyone feels this way. after the historic tie-breaking vote in the u.s. senate -- >> the vice president votes in the affirmative and the nomination is confirmed. false wass he do confirmed, then sworn in as education secretary. betsy devos was confirmed. some public school advocates say the 59-year-old from michigan not qualified because she has never attended or taught in a

like many of the president's nomines her husband's family founded amway and the couple are longtime republican donors. democrats and teachers groups opposed devos' nomination saying she isn't qualified. supporters say devos' advocacy for school vouchers and charter schools is about having educational choice. devos will make her first address to department of education staff later this afternoon. also happening today president trump's supreme court nominee heads to capitol hill. "neil gorsuch" will meet with lawmakers later this morning. as for a confirmation hearing - according to the senate judiciary committee - it'll likely begin in about five weeks. construction on the dakota access pipeline has been given the army clearance to go ahead. the 4-state pipeline has been cleared to cross under a missouri river reservoir in north dakota. its' been the subject to month's of heated protests by environmentalists and native americans. sioux tribe who lives less than a mile away, argue a pipeline leak will effect their drinking water. they've vowed to fight any army clearance. a spring awakening this

she is married to an entrepreneur, the heir to the amway fortune.he was chair of the american federation for children which advocates for educational choice and chair of the private michigan investment and management firm. we will be talking about her throughout our program. talkathonupon -- continues. we want to hear from you and teachers. good morning. caller: good morning. i am calling to support my fellow teachers. i am a retired teacher but only retired seven years ago. they have no idea how difficult it is to teach in chicago public schools. i thought for over 40 years. .ery demanding job sometimes i would start at 5:00 in the morning and would still be working at 7:00 at night. i don't complain about that. that is what i wanted to do. i wanted to give children in the chicago area. i love the children, i love my job, but it is very difficult. the way they can change things, the requirements such as no child left behind, the core curriculum, it is very difficult for the teachers to keep up with all of the demands, especially with the demands to

she is married to nick devos who is the heir to the amway fortune. we are asking if she should be confirmed as education secretary. phone lines for democrats, republicans, independents and teachers as well. i am a teacher in san diego and i work at a charter school and i want to follow up on a comment that was made. the issue is not about school choice but it comes down to her experience and her knowledge of education at the federal level. regardless of what your opinion is on school choice, there are examples of charter schools that do well, but in that hearing, when she was asked about the federal role of education and federal laws, her lack of knowledge regarding some of those federal systems because the federal government does play a role in education, a lot of it is determined by the states, but her knowledge and background in that federal side of our nationwide education system was -- it exposed her to her experienced -- energy -- and excipients and her lack of qualifications for the job. joanna is in damascus, maryland, democrat. caller: i wan

she's an heir to her family fortune, the amway fortune and multiple interests all over the place and potential for pi pitfalls. >> rose: if the incoming secretary is designing her ideal school system in america for scratch, what is that betsy devos system? >> she's indicated she's interested in making sure that in that ideal system people can choose which school it is. she hasn't given many specifics as far as what that school looks like, and i think that's where some of the concerns about her as education secretary really come from. >> glor: and, so, the choice being a variety of different schooling options including what? >> current schools that are privately run, religiously run, run by for profit organizations are all schools she said she wanted to h in her career so far divert federal funds to to make sure students could get the education they wanted. >> glor: has she then most focused on primary education on kids when they're younger or college education? >> it seems she's been mostly focused on younger children, which is right in line with the department of education's purview

and then she married into the amway family, another legendary business where she's been able to accumulate some money. there's nothing wrong with that in america. in fact, many people aspire to it and reach that goal and are add -- admired for reaching it. it doesn't disqualify her for anything in life as far as i'm concerned, but it does not necessarily qualify her for certain things in life. it's not clear to me from her record, when it comes to the field of education, that she is prepared to serve this nation as our next secretary of education. i don't find in her background the qualifications for the job that i found when the presiding officer was chosen as secretary of education or when my friend arne duncan of chicago, whom i had breakfast with yesterday, was chosen for the same position. ms. devos' experience in education is limited to using her family's substantial wealth to push for a so-called reform agenda in her home state of michigan. ms. devos has never been a teacher. she has never been an administrator. in fact, she's never held any job in public education. neither she nor

okay, so not only do i have to coach the bronze medalist for the special olympics, but i gotta be an amwaysman too, is that it? buttermaker, don't turn this into high drama. do what other coaches do: restaurants, sporting-goods stores, you know. you know, i got a job. i got houses to spray. it's ant season, you know? what is it about being a man that makes everything so hard? i own my own law firm. i'm a single mother, and i still have time for extension courses, pilates, the flower-seed business, pottery-- you know what, i'm busy too, okay? i got important crap to do. i got stuff stacked up all over the place. okay? mm-hmm. come on, buttermaker, let's go. ( john fogerty's "centerfield" playing ) ( siren wailing in distance ) ♪ well, beat the drum ♪ and hold the phone ♪ the sun came out today um... mr. buttermaker? yeah. where are we going? already told you, to the batting cages. you guys swing like helen keller at a piñata party. gonna do somethin' about it. tell us about the majors, coach. ahmad: you were in the majors? yeah, for a little while. hey, lupus, don't lean against that door,