Betsy DeVos under consideration by Donald Trump for U.S. Secretary of Education
Betsy DeVos, a prominent school choice advocate and GOP supporter, is under consideration by president-elect Donald Trump to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education, according to news reports.
Several news organizations, including the Washington Post and Politico, have said DeVos is among a handful of people under consideration for the position.
Greg McNeilly, a family spokesman, declined to comment Wednesday afternoon.
DeVos, whose husband Dick unsuccessfully ran for governor in 2006, is a renowned advocate -- both in Michigan and nationally -- for school choice and charter schools. She serves on the board of the Michigan-based Great Lakes Education Project and the Washington D.C.-based American Federation for Children -- each of which works to expand educational options for children.
Trump, for his part, pushed for greater school choice on the campaign trail, including a proposal to pump $20 billion into expanding options for low-income students.
DeVos, a former chair of the Michigan Republican Party, previously expressed reservations about Trump. At the Republican National Convention in July she cast her vote as an at-large delegate for Ohio Gov. John Kasich, and said she was still hoping to "hear something from our nominee to convince me that I should support him."
Former Michigan Republican Party chair Betsy DeVos is bullish on the future of her party, but she's still not quite sold on the presidential candidate Republicans have now officially chosen.
In addition to DeVos, other people under consideration for the position include Indiana Rep. Luke Messer, as well as William Evers, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, according to news reports.
The DeVos family has long been staunch supporters of the Republican party, lavishing candidates with donations and supporting conservative causes such as school vouchers and making Michigan a right-to-work state.
DeVos, as quoted on the American Federation for Children website, says she's "part of an education revolution – a revolution that results in parents, especially those who have children trapped in failing schools, having choices."
"And, only through educational choice can we unleash the power of bold innovation to transform the lives of these children and to give them hope for a much brighter future," she said.Betsy DeVos under consideration by Donald Trump for U.S. Secretary of Education | MLive.com:
