Trump Taps Charter School Advocate Betsy DeVos As Education Secretary

Her organization, AFC, has donated money to one of the big kahunas in school choice, the Foundation for Excellence in Education, which is run by Jeb Bush and supports Common Core.

Trump, who was at his Palm Beach estate Wednesday for the Thanksgiving holiday, called DeVos “a brilliant and passionate education advocate”.

The nomination needs to be confirmed by Congress. DeVos is a strong proponent of education vouchers and charter schools. Those policies are strongly opposed by teachers unions. She now leads the advocacy group, American Federation for Children, and sits on the board of the Jeb Bush led Foundation for Excellence in Education.

DeVos is more than a political activist and reformer, she is also a woman of faith.

During the campaign, Betsy DeVos withheld her support of Trump, and Politico reported that she cast her vote at the July GOP convention for Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

A native of Michigan, DeVos has spent decades advocating for school choice reforms and helping under-served children gain access to quality education. For too long, the educational status quo has failed too many children.

The DeVos nomination follows on the heels of Trump naming pro-life Gov Nikki Haley as his United Nations ambassador and pro-life Senator Jeff Sessions his Attorney General.

DeVos, from MI, is a longtime advocate for charter schools and school vouchers.

“The outcome of Question 2 on the MA election ballot clearly demonstrated that people value public education and want high-quality public schools that provide opportunities for all students”, she said.

DeVos, from MI, is a longtime advocate for charter schools and school vouchers.

DeVos is the head of the pro-charter school American Federation for Children, and has spoken out about Common Core education principles – something Trump vowed to scrap. However, she denied being a supporter in a statement on her website, referring to the math and reading guidelines used in many states as a “federalized boondoggle”. Garcia said the pick is the latest proof that the incoming Trump administration is “out of touch” with respect to education policy.

The former Republican presidential candidate called DeVos an “outstanding pick” for the post.

DeVos, 58, is a former chair of the Michigan Republican Party.

Richard DeVos previously said: “You live your life the way you want to live and I’ll live mine and I won’t stick my nose in yours, but don’t keep trying to change things, that’s all”. But DeVos has also invested heavily in politics.