AUSTIN, TX. – Following the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education, the Faith and Education Coalition of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC) congratulates Sec. DeVos and calls on her to ensure that all America’s children have access to high quality education.

“The Faith and Education Coalition congratulates the newly confirmed Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. We share her commitment to high standards and quality education for all children as well as a shared belief that each child has been created in the image of God,” said Faith and Education Coalition Executive Director, Dr. Andrea Ramirez.

“We, as people of faith, dedicate to faithfully pray for Sec. DeVos and her staff throughout her term as secretary. As citizens invested in the future of our children, we commit to work at state and local levels to support students to achieve their God-given potential. We are grateful and encouraged that Sec. DeVos has demonstrated a commitment to honor the Imago Dei in each child,” Dr. Ramirez added. “We pray this will be the hallmark of her service in the Department of Education. May income, race and zip code no longer determine a child’s educational outcome as we work together to provide excellent education options to all students.”

The Faith and Education Coalition calls on Sec. DeVos to prioritize education excellence for the more than 50 million students enrolled in public schools, the majority of whom are students of color. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, minority students, when added together, made up the majority of students that year — a shift largely fueled by growth in the number of Hispanic children. At 55 million strong, Hispanics are the largest minority group in the nation. Education tops the list of social concerns for Latinos in America.

“We encourage Sec. DeVos to make high quality public education a top priority in her vision for America’s students. Hispanic and minority students will soon take their place as leaders in our nation.  Thus, as the Department of Education empowers these children to succeed in the classroom, America will also succeed both economically and socially, as a result of producing millions of skilled students, workers, professionals, and entrepreneurs. We will also succeed in serving as a world leader in education. In short, when minority students win, America wins.” 

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Faith and Education Coalition is an initiative of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC). With 2,568 members representing almost 3,000 local churches in 44 states, the Faith and Education Coalition advocates to ensure every child in America has access to high-quality education.

Website | www.faithandeducation.com

NHCLC/CONEL is the world’s largest Hispanic Christian organization. It serves as a representative voice for the more than 100 million Hispanic Evangelicals assembled in over 40,000 U.S. churches and another 500,000 congregations spread throughout the Spanish-speaking diaspora. For additional information, visit www.nhclc.org.