TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - U.S. Secretary of Education Besty DeVos will be staying an extra day in Tallahassee.
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church has confirmed that DeVos will be visiting the Bethel Christian Academy to speak.
Her official public schedule does not note that she will be speaking at the academy.
On Tuesday, DeVos made two stops: One at Holy Comforter Episcopal School at 10:30 a.m. and another at Florida State University School at 12:30 p.m.
Though DeVos was making her rounds to highlight innovative ways students are getting educated in Tallahassee, officials write that DeVos is "continuing to demean the value of public schools."
Leon County Schools released this statement regarding DeVos' visit:
"Today’s visit further highlights the divide between leaders in our government who believe in public education and those who do not. The Secretary chose to tour a private, charter and voucher school while not even reaching out to our school district to let us know she was coming to Tallahassee.
Leon County Schools is one of the top districts in the State of Florida with more than 40 schools and over 2,400 teachers. Not visiting one of our outstanding campuses and continuing to demean the value of public schools is disrespectful towards those men and women who wake up every day committed to the success of our 34,000 students."
However, Lynn Norman-Teck, the executive director of the Florida Charter School Alliance felt DeVos is an advocate for "quality education and parental choice."
"Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, like Arnie Duncan -- who was appointed by President Obama – is an advocate for quality education and parental choice," wrote Teck in a statement. "We hope her visit to Tallahassee gives her an opportunity to see first hand the great things educators and school advocates are doing to help raise student achievement, close the achievement gap, support teachers and increase college readiness in Florida."
Bethel Academy is a charter school and "ministry" of Bethel Missionary Baptist Church.
