Dear Editor:

The outstanding Cabinet pick for Secretary of Education was confirmed by the Senate. But not without the dissenting vote of Susan Collins. The teachers unions of Maine were violently opposed to Betsy DeVos because she is dedicated to reducing the bureaucracy of the Department of Education, and allowing families to choose between charter schools and independent school districts, increasing the competition between schools. The teachers unions, which hold Collins hostage with their contributions, are opposed to change because they lose their stranglehold on our teachers. We spend $11,000 dollars per student in the United States, highest in the world, and we rank 29th in developed countries in students education.

If there is a swamp to be drained, the Department of Education is a good start. Susan knows we need change, the American people voted for change, but the unions got to her. Sad.

Gordon B. Richardson

Boothbay Harbor and Caldwell, Texas