Below is the text of US ed sec nominee Betsy DeVos’ opening remarks at her January 17, 2017, hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.

First, a few observations:

Notice that DeVos cannot help but identify “a mix of publicly-funded and private schools that is today’s public education.”

Private schools are not public schools. But to DeVos, they should be the principal recipients of public funding in the form of vouchers.

DeVos tries to connect to public school by identifying her mother, Elsa Prince, as a public school teacher. However, the Prince-DeVos alma mater, Calvin College, identifies Elsa Prince as “known for” being a “conservative financier.”

DeVos does not note where her mother taught, or for how long. However, given that DeVos identifies private schools as public schools, and given the Prince-DeVos family history is inextricably intertwined with the Reformed Church in America (RCA), it is…