TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) sharply criticized the Senate’s confirmation of Linda McMahon as U.S. Secretary of Education, calling her appointment an attack on public education.
In a statement Tuesday, NJEA President Sean Spiller, Vice President Steve Beatty, and Secretary-Treasurer Petal Robertson denounced McMahon’s qualifications and intentions. “The Senate’s vote to confirm Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education proves what we’ve seen over and over in the last few weeks: no nominee is too unserious or unqualified to serve in the Trump administration,” the union leaders said.
McMahon, a billionaire and former professional wrestling executive, previously ran twice for U.S. Senate in Connecticut and served as head of the Small Business Administration under President Donald Trump. The NJEA criticized her support for dismantling the Department of Education, calling it “devastating to students and families across New Jersey and the United States.”
The NJEA vowed to oppose McMahon’s policies, stating, “We will fight the harmful Trump-McMahon agenda of funding cuts, privatization, and demonization of public education.”