Betsy DeVos apparently âconfusedâ about federal law protecting students with disabilities
Betsy DeVos
Betsy DeVos  Donald Trump's nominee for education secretary  appeared before senators at her confirmation hearing on Jan. 17  but some of her responses created more questions than they answered. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
 Betsy DeVos  displayed at best confusion and at worst a lack of knowledge about a key federal law involving students with disabilities during  her  Tuesday confirmation hearing before a Senate panel that will vote on whether  she  should become President-elect Donald Trumpâs education secretary.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) asked  DeVos  about the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)  which requires public schools to provide children with disabilities a âfree appropriate public educationâ and governs how states and public agencies provide various services to millions of students.
Kaine asked  her  if  she  believes that all schools that receive federal funding â whether public  public charter or private â should be required to meet the requirements of IDEA.
 She  responded: âI think they already are.â
 DeVos  said: âI think that is a matter that is best left to the states.â
 Devos  repeated: âI think thatâs an issue thatâs best left to the states.â
 DeVos  began speaking about a Florida voucher program for students with disabilities that requires students to sign away their IDEA due process rights.
 DeVos  said: âI think that is certainly worth discussion.â
[Six astonishing things  Betsy DeVos  said â and refused to say â at  her  confirmation hearing]
Accompanied by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and former Senator Joe Lieberman  President-elect Donald Trumpâs nominee for  Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos  appears before the Senate Health  Education  Labor and Pensions Committee for  her  confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday  Jan. 17  2017. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post)
Near the end of the hearing  Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) returned to the issue  telling  DeVos  that IDEA is a federal civil rights law and noting that federal law must be followed.  She  asked  DeVos  if  she  stood by  her  statement that it was up to the states to follow it  and  DeVos  responded  âFederal law must be followed where federal dollars are in play.â
 DeVos  responded  âI may have confused it.â
( DeVos  may have confused IDEA? With what  exactly?)
Hassan then explained to  DeVos  what IDEA actually guarantees to students with disabilities  and urged her to learn about it  saying she was âconcernedâ that  DeVos  was unfamiliar with it.  DeVos  responded that if  she  is confirmed as education secretary   she  would be âvery sensitiveâ to the needs of special needs students.
What we learned about Betsy  DeVos âs higher education positions
[TGT]  nominee for education secretary  appeared before senators at  [TGT]  confirmation hearing on Jan. 17  but some of  [TGT]  responses created more questions than they answered. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
  [TGT] displayed at best confusion and at worst a lack of knowledge about a key federal law involving students with disabilities during   [TGT]   Tuesday confirmation hearing before a Senate panel that will vote on whether   [TGT]   should become President-elect Donald Trumpâs education secretary.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) asked   [TGT] about the federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)  which requires public schools to provide children with disabilities a âfree appropriate public educationâ and governs how states and public agencies provide various services to millions of students.
Kaine asked  her  if  she  believes that all schools that receive federal funding â whether public  public charter or private â should be required to meet the requirements of IDEA.
 She  responded: âI think they already are.â
  [TGT] said: âI think that is a matter that is best left to the states.â
  [TGT] repeated: âI think thatâs an issue thatâs best left to the states.â
  [TGT] began speaking about a Florida voucher program for students with disabilities that requires students to sign away their IDEA due process rights.
  [TGT] said: âI think that is certainly worth discussion.â
[Six astonishing things   [TGT] said â and refused to say â at   [TGT]   confirmation hearing]
Accompanied by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and former Senator Joe Lieberman  President-elect Donald Trumpâs nominee for  [TGT] appears before the Senate Health  Education  Labor and Pensions Committee for   [TGT]   confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill Tuesday  Jan. 17  2017. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post)
Near the end of the hearing  Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) returned to the issue  telling   [TGT] that IDEA is a federal civil rights law and noting that federal law must be followed.   [TGT]   asked   [TGT] if   [TGT]   stood by   [TGT]   statement that it was up to the states to follow it  and   [TGT] responded  âFederal law must be followed where federal dollars are in play.â
  [TGT] responded  âI may have confused it.â
(  [TGT] may have confused IDEA? With what  exactly?)
Hassan then explained to   [TGT] what IDEA actually guarantees to students with disabilities  and urged her to learn about it  saying she was âconcernedâ that   [TGT] was unfamiliar with  [TGT] .   [TGT] responded that if   [TGT]   is confirmed as education secretary    [TGT]   would be âvery sensitiveâ to the needs of special needs students.
What we learned about Betsy  DeVos âs higher education positions