Betsy DeVos: Everything You Need to Know

President-elect Donald Trump has picked billionaire Betsy DeVos, a Michigan Republican activist and philanthropist who is a strong supporter of school choice but has limited experience with public education, as his secretary of education.

Donald Trump has selected businesswoman, Michigan Republican and charter school advocate Betsy DeVos to be his secretary of Education.

Betsy DeVos is hardly a household name, but the MI billionaire and conservative activist has quietly helped change the education landscape in many states, spending millions of dollars in a successful push to expand voucher programs that give families taxpayer dollars to pay for private and religious schools.

“We understand that the foundation of public education is based on the ideal that our public schools serve every child that comes to our schoolhouse door”, he said.

In a statement issued by the Trump transition team, DeVos said she would be working with Trump “to make American education great again”.

Trump describes DeVos as a brilliant and passionate education advocate. The site also rebuked Trump’s announcement he no longer plans to push for prosecution of his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton as a “broken promise”. Candidates whom DeVos has backed include former Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal and former IN governor Mitch Daniels, who established a statewide voucher program that his successor, Mike Pence, expanded. Her husband, Dick, is an heir to the Amway fortune and a former president of the company. Some conservative groups are also likely to be unhappy; they have argued that choosing DeVos signals Trump is wavering on his vehement opposition to the Common Core state standards.

She will face resistance from those, including unions, who warn such policies hurt public schools.

And they’re a bit – feel a bit angry and betrayed because Betsy DuVos has made some statements in the past and sits on the board of an education group that has supported Common Core. Shortly after her nomination was announced, DeVos tweeted, nearly as if she had forgotten something important to say.

Her focus on education reform stems from the honest belief that every child, everywhere should have access to a quality education, and that access should not depend on a ZIP code.

Eye-catching though her political career has been, little is known about Nikki Haley’s views on foreign affairs and the United Nations.

“He repeatedly assured parents across the heartland that he meant to return power over education to local schools”, Cannon said of Trump. Trump reportedly spoke to her about increasing national standards.

Haley entered politics as a Republican, severing in the SC house of Representatives for several years before becoming governor of the state.

Supporters champion school-choice programs as a free-market solution to failing public schools, giving parents more options on where their children go to school. “This is indeed a dark day for public education in America”.

The appointments of Mrs Haley and Mrs DeVos will need to be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate.