When The Gazette called me out by name in their editorial endorsing Donald Trump’s choice for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, I felt obliged to respond and explain why DeVos would be an unmitigated disaster for the future of public education.

Betsy DeVos has a vision for education filled with dangerous ideas. DeVos, who never attended a public school, claims to be in favor of school choice – giving parents the ability to choose a good school for their kids. However, in the quest for school choice, Colorado districts divert essential public tax dollars away from neighborhood schools, and also create a school system that is market-based and not in tune with the needs of students.

As a lobbyist and political donor, DeVos worked tirelessly to promote charter schools in her home state of Michigan. Her approach to education assumes privatization is the answer, but she does not believe charter schools should be held to the same standards and transparency requirements required of public schools.

These necessary standards ensure schools are focusing their spending on students’ wellbeing, and that kids are not falling behind. In other words, DeVos has made a name for herself as a person who is against the very idea of a high-quality public education for everyone. We are a nation founded on the principle that everyone, equally, deserves an education and that is only possible if we have an overall shared investment in our public schools.

A recent Colorado poll conducted by In The Public Interest in January 2016 showed voters agree with me and want to see more accountability from charters. The poll found that 88 percent of voters supported a requirement that charter school board meetings be open to the public and 74 percent of voters supported a requirement that charters disclose outside funding including gifts, grants and donations. Charters have access to private financial resources that are barred from public schools. If we are serious about ensuring every child has the best education, let’s invest in smart strategies that create small class sizes, curriculum that encourages critical thinking and creativity, initiatives that promote teacher retention, and programs that increase parental involvement. A voucher program essentially sends the wrong message that all our public schools are broken beyond repair and public money should be used elsewhere.

If DeVos is appointed, we need to have a serious conversation about how we see the future of public education in this country. Our public schools are where we prepare the nation’s young people to contribute to our society, economy and citizenry. I would end by pointing out several Senate Republicans on the Education Committee who will oversee her confirmation have accepted thousands in campaign contributions from Mrs. Devos. While I doubt this will happen, they have a moral obligation to and should recuse themselves from the proceedings. As for me, I will not support DeVos and her vouchers, her charters, or her privatization schemes because I do not support corporations making a profit off our children’s futures.

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Sen. Michael Merrifield is from Senate District 11, which represents Colorado Springs.