President-elect Trump is tapping Betsy DeVos, a former leader of the Michigan Republican Party and a prominent supporter of charter schools in the Great Lakes State, as his education secretary.
A DeVos family spokesman confirmed reports to the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that DeVos has accepted Trump’s offer. The DeVos appointment comes on a busy day of transition news for Trump: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley was named the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and Dr. Ben Carson said he would take a role in the administration, possibly as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
DeVos was the chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party for years and in recent times has played a role in promoting charter schools in the state. She also served as the chairwoman to several education interest groups that promote school choice.
She is the founder of the Great Lakes Education Project, a group that promotes school choice in Michigan’s Capitol and promotes great access to charter schools for children.
“I am honored to accept this responsibility to work with the President-elect on his vision to make American education great again,” DeVos said in a statement. “The status quo in education is not acceptable. Together, we can work to make transformational change that ensures every student in America has the opportunity to fulfill his or her highest potential.”
DeVos also works as chairwoman of the American Federation for Children, which works on education policy, and the Windquest Group.
Devos’ husband, Dick DeVos, is the son of Amway co-founder Richard DeVos and once ran for governor of Michigan, losing to Democrat Jennifer Granholm in 2006.
DeVos has multiple connections to Trump’s GOP rivals for the presidency. She’s on the board of directors for ExcelinEd, an education reform group headed up by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. In addition, her family was described as “all in” for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio during the GOP primary in Michigan.
Her family donated nearly $1 million to elect Trump and other Republicans in Michigan during the election.
Trump said DeVos’ role will be to break up the bureaucracy in education.
“Betsy DeVos is a brilliant and passionate education advocate,” he said in a statement. “Under her leadership we will reform the U.S. education system and break the bureaucracy that is holding our children back so that we can deliver world-class education and school choice to all families.”
