WASHINGTON - Betsy DeVos has been confirmed as the nation's next Education Secretary following a tie-breaking 51-50 vote Tuesday by Vice President Mike Pence.

Senate Democrats had been holding a round-the-clock "talk-a-thon" as they tried to get one more Republican to break ranks and vote against DeVos.

The chamber was locked in a 50-50 split over her nomination.

Supporters like charter school founder Eva Moskowitz say DeVos is the right person to shake up the country's school system.

But critics like Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren say the billionaire is unqualified because she has no experience dealing with public schools and ripped Republicans for supporting her.

"They are willing to ignore her hostility to public schools, willing to ignore her indifference to laws that protect special needs kids, willing to ignore the giant ethical cloud that hangs over her, ignore it all so that billionaire and campaign contributor Betsy DeVos can be Secretary of Education," Warren said.

NY1 also spoke with some teachers in Queens Tuesday who do not like the president's choice of DeVos.

"I think she doesn't underdstand the separation of religion and states. She's just not fit to be the head of education in the United States," said one city public school teacher.

"Betsy DeVos is profoundly ignorant of the functioning of the public school system in the United States. I think she's an avid financer of the charter school system in Detroit, which from what I understand is in a state of tremendous disarray," noted another teacher.

Mike Pence is now the first vice president to cast a tie-breaking vote in confirming a cabinet nominee.