Hillary Clinton speaks at the American Federation of Teachers convention at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis on Monday.

| AP Photo Clinton attacks Pence, calls him 'hostile' to public education

Hillary Clinton unleashed a blistering attack Monday night on Donald Trump's pick for vice president, telling thousands of cheering teachers union members that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is “one of the most hostile politicians in America when it comes to public education.”

“Neither Mike Pence nor Donald Trump should be anywhere near our children’s education,” said Clinton, speaking at the American Federation of Teachers' biennial gathering in Minneapolis. She spoke as the GOP convention was taking place in Cleveland, 750 miles away.


If you want to know what kind of president Trump would be, Clinton said, “just look at who he’s chosen as his running mate.”

“Mike Pence is one of the most extreme vice presidential picks in a generation," Clinton said. "And he’s one of the most hostile politicians in America when it comes to public education.”

Clinton accused Pence of being a “tea party politician” who has undermined the rights of women, workers, the LGBT community and immigrants.

On the education front, Clinton said Pence cut millions from higher education while he was “giving huge cuts to corporations.”

Clinton also said Pence “turned away millions of federal dollars that could’ve expanded access to preschool for low-income children” — an apparent reference to his decision, in 2014, to not apply for federal preschool grant dollars, and instead create a small pilot pre-K program.

Pence has an extensive record on education. As governor, he forcefully pushed for the expansion of charter schools, and strongly supported the growth of school vouchers. Two years ago, Pence signed a NRA-backed bill that allows teachers, parents and school visitors to keep guns in their cars in school parking lots — a controversial law that was opposed by school superintendents because of safety concerns.

In recent years, Pence supported a $200 million boost in funding for K-12 schools, for the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years, including more money for school choice, preschool, career and technical education, and merit-based raises for teachers. The state Legislature ultimately decided to be even more generous, and funded K-12 schools at $460 million, which was more than double what Pence sought.

In her speech Monday, Clinton also criticized a comment Trump made on Fox News in April about shutting down the Education Department — a popular GOP talking point. Trump said the Education Department could be largely eliminated, but you might have to leave some "tentacles out there.”

Clinton said: “That agency might not always get it right, but it provides support for vital programs from pre-K to Pell Grants and crucial resources to help low income students, students with disabilities, and English-language learners. So Donald Trump would leave our most vulnerable students to fend for themselves.”