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| Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos | |
|---|---|
| Name | Betsy DeVos |
| Office | United States Secretary of Education |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Term start | February 7, 2017 |
| Term end | January 20, 2021 |
| Predecessor | John King Jr. |
| Successor | Miguel Cardona |
| Birth name | Elisabeth Prince |
| Birth date | January 8, 1958 |
| Birth place | Holland, Michigan |
| Party | Republican Party |
| Spouse | Dick DeVos |
| Alma mater | Holland Christian High School, Holland; Calvin College |
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was the 11th United States Secretary of Education, serving in the cabinet of Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021. A prominent philanthropist and political donor from Michigan, she was a leading advocate for school choice, charter schools, and voucher programs. DeVos's tenure drew attention across the political spectrum from figures and institutions including Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, Ava DuVernay, Diane Ravitch, and organizations such as National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, and Student Debt Crisis activists.
Born Elisabeth Prince in Holland, Michigan, DeVos is the daughter of Edgar Prince, founder of Prince Corporation, and Elsa Prince, associated with local civic institutions in Michigan City, Indiana. She graduated from Holland Christian High School and attended Calvin College, where she studied social studies and participated in Young Republicans circles and Reformed Church in America community activities. Her family connections included the DeVos family network, with ties to business figures such as Richard DeVos and philanthropic networks linked to Amway and Alticor. DeVos's early civic involvement intersected with nonprofit organizations like Mars Hill Bible Church and regional education initiatives in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
DeVos became active in the family's investment and nonprofit enterprises, aligning with corporate and philanthropic entities including Windquest Group, Edgar Prince Foundation, and the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation. Her activities connected with corporate boards and civic institutions such as Spectrum Health, Van Andel Institute, and Grand Valley State University fundraising campaigns. As a philanthropist, she supported school choice organizations such as Alliance for School Choice, Americans for Prosperity, and Council for National Policy, along with faith-based charities tied to Calvin Theological Seminary and ministries like Focus on the Family. DeVos's financial support extended to political action committees and institutes including American Federation for Children, FreedomWorks, and educational reform groups such as KIPP Foundation, Stand for Children, and Education Reform Now.
DeVos became a major Republican donor and activist in Michigan politics and national campaigns, backing figures like George W. Bush, Mitt Romney, Rick Snyder, and Marco Rubio. She chaired the Michigan Republican Party fundraising efforts and served on advisory councils for Republican National Committee and American Legislative Exchange Council. DeVos advocated for school choice through alliances with policymakers and think tanks including Heritage Foundation, Brookings Institution (education projects), Hoover Institution affiliates, and advocacy groups like StudentsFirst and Teach For America alumni networks. She hosted fundraisers attended by Paul Ryan, Rudy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich, and cultural figures associated with conservative philanthropy such as Charles Koch and David Koch donors.
Nominated by Donald Trump and confirmed after a contentious Senate vote, DeVos led the United States Department of Education from 2017 to 2021. Her confirmation process involved scrutiny from senators including Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski, and hearings before the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. As Secretary, she interacted with state education chiefs such as Arne Duncan, John King Jr., Ruth Johnson, and Betsy DeVos contemporaries in regional governors' cabinets including Rick Scott, Phil Bryant, and Larry Hogan. DeVos represented the department in interagency meetings with Department of Justice officials, Department of Health and Human Services counterparts, and advisory boards including members from National Assessment of Educational Progress circles and university presidents from Harvard University, Yale University, and University of Michigan.
DeVos prioritized initiatives for school choice, charter school expansion, and voucher programs, working with legislative allies in United States Congress including representatives such as Betsy McCollum critics and supporters like Bobby Scott and John Kline. She sought regulatory changes affecting Title IX enforcement, borrower defense to repayment rules connected to Navient and Federal Student Aid, and for-profit college oversight involving entities such as DeVry University and University of Phoenix. DeVos promoted deregulation through rulemaking processes linked to the Code of Federal Regulations and issued guidance on civil rights enforcement tied to historical cases such as Gonzaga University v. Doe precedents. She backed apprenticeship programs coordinated with Department of Labor initiatives and supported partnerships with nonprofit organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and philanthropies including Walton Family Foundation.
DeVos's policies attracted criticism from educators, unions, civil rights groups, and lawmakers including Randi Weingarten, Diane Ravitch, Vanessa Siddle Walker, and advocacy organizations such as NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, ACLU, and Southern Poverty Law Center. Her advocacy for voucher programs prompted legal challenges in state courts such as Zelman v. Simmons-Harris-referenced debates and legislative battles in Michigan Legislature and Florida Legislature. DeVos faced scrutiny over her handling of campus sexual assault guidance, provoking disputes with plaintiffs' attorneys and critics including Anita Hill-era commentators and Title IX advocates from Know Your IX. Other controversies involved meetings with private education companies, connections to donors like Charles Koch affiliates, and disputes over department transparency raised by watchdogs such as ProPublica and investigative journalists from The New York Times and The Washington Post.
After leaving office in January 2021, DeVos returned to private philanthropy, serving on boards and advising organizations engaged in school choice, workforce development, and faith-based initiatives. She re-engaged with groups such as American Federation for Children, EdChoice, and regional Michigan nonprofits including Grand Rapids Symphony and Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum programming. DeVos participated in conferences alongside education reform leaders from Brookings Institution panels, op-eds in outlets affiliated with The Wall Street Journal and National Review, and forums with policymakers from Republican Study Committee and think tanks like Manhattan Institute. Her post-administration profile involved dialogues with higher education leaders from Michigan State University, Grand Valley State University, and international education delegations from United Kingdom and Canada.
Category:United States Secretaries of Education Category:People from Holland, Michigan Category:Living people