Betsy DevosEdit

Betsy DeVos is an American businesswoman, philanthropist, and political figure who has been a leading advocate for school choice and parental empowerment for decades. She served as the 11th United States Secretary of Education in the administration of Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021. A longtime donor to Republican Party causes and a prominent figure in Michigan politics, she worked to shift emphasis in K-12 policy from centralized federal mandates toward local control and family-chosen alternatives. Her career in philanthropy and public policy centers on expanding options for families, raising accountability, and reducing barriers to competition in education.

Supporters credit DeVos with advancing a reform agenda aimed at improving outcomes through competition, choice, and parental involvement. They argue that empowering families to choose schools—whether traditional public schools, charter schools, or private options—drives innovation, fosters accountability, and better serves students in underperforming environments. Critics, however, contend that the push for privatization risks draining resources from traditional public schools and altering the fundamental purpose of public education. The debates surrounding her work illuminate ongoing disagreements about how best to deliver high-quality education, how to measure success, and how much decisions should be made at the local versus federal level.

Early life and education

Betsy DeVos was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1958 to a family with deep roots in business and public life. She pursued higher education at Calvin College, where she earned a BA in business administration in 1979. Her upbringing and subsequent marriage into the DeVos family connected her with longstanding Amway involvement and a network of donors who support civic and educational reform efforts. Her early experiences in Michigan public life laid the groundwork for a career focused on empowering parents and expanding school options.

Career and philanthropy before public office

The DeVos family has been a major force in philanthropy and policy advocacy, particularly around education reform. Betsy and her husband, Dick DeVos, established a family foundation and engaged with a range of organizations devoted to improving educational opportunity. Through the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, the couple supported initiatives in arts, culture, community development, and education reform. DeVos also played a leadership role in the Foundation for Excellence in Education and in advocacy groups affiliated with the school-choice movement.

Her involvement extended to the American Federation for Children, an organization that promotes school choice and parental choice policy. AFC and related networks advocate for expanded funding streams that follow students to the school of their parents’ choosing, including vouchers and charter schools. In Michigan, DeVos also contributed to the state’s political landscape by participating in party activities and policy discussions through the Michigan Republican Party.

United States Secretary of Education

In 2016, President Donald Trump nominated DeVos to be the United States Secretary of Education. Her confirmation, completed in February 2017, drew praise from supporters who saw in her a practical reformer capable of expanding options for families and increasing accountability, and criticism from opponents who questioned her lack of experience within public schools or federal education administration. She became the first person to hold the cabinet post without prior elected office or substantial government experience.

Policy priorities

  • School choice and parental empowerment: DeVos championed expanding options for families through public school choice, charter schools, and private school vouchers where allowed. She argued that competition would spur improvement and give parents a broader set of tools to guide their children’s education. See School choice and Charter school for the policy concepts central to this emphasis.
  • Local control and accountability: A core theme was reducing what her allies saw as excessive federal control over education, with emphasis on local decision-making and accountability mechanisms tailored to communities. See United States Department of Education for the agency she led and its role in policy implementation.
  • School funding reform: Advocates like DeVos argued for funding models that empower families to choose among schools and ensure that public funds follow the student to the school the family selects. See Voucher and No Child Left Behind Act for related funding and accountability debates.
  • Civil rights and campus policy: DeVos sought to ensure due process and fairness in campus settings while promoting equal access to educational opportunities. Her department issued new guidance on campus disciplinary procedures, aiming to balance safety, fairness, and due process. See Title IX and Campus assault policy for the broader landscape of these issues.

Controversies and debates

  • Experience and qualifications: Critics argued that a Secretary of Education without direct experience in public schooling or classroom administration would struggle with day-to-day management of a large federal department. Supporters contended that private-sector and nonprofit leadership experience, combined with an emphasis on accountability and parental choice, offered a different but legitimate form of leadership.

  • Role of private schools and public funding: Debates over funding our education system through private channels intensified under her tenure. Proponents maintained that giving families more choices improves educational outcomes and fosters innovation, while opponents warned that diverting funds toward private options could undermine public schools and long-term equity. See Voucher and Charter school for related policy discussions.

  • Campus governance and due process: DeVos’s approach to campus sexual assault policy, including the Department of Education’s guidance and enforcement posture, drew sharp disagreement. Supporters argued the reforms protected due process rights for accused students and provided clearer standards for how cases should be adjudicated, while critics contended that the changes risked making campuses less safe or less responsive to victims. This debate sits at the intersection of safety, fairness, and the proper scope of federal guidance in higher education.

  • Public schools vs. privatization rhetoric: The policy conversation around DeVos’s tenure often framed a larger, longer-running disagreement about the balance between strengthening public schools and expanding private options. Proponents believed the best chance to raise overall outcomes lay in injecting competition and choice into the system, while critics warned of widening gaps and uneven resources. The debate remains central to ongoing education reform discussions in the United States.

Personal life and legacy

Betsy DeVos is married to Dick DeVos, and the couple has been public figures in both philanthropy and politics. Their work through the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation and related organizations left a lasting imprint on school-choice advocacy and reform networks. After her service as secretary, she continued to participate in policy conversations surrounding education reform and parental choice, contributing to the broader national dialogue about how to improve student outcomes through more diverse schooling options.

See also