WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT BETSY DEVOS’ NOMINATION (VOL. II)

Betsy DeVos’ nomination to be America’s next Secretary of Education continues to receive praise from opinion makers across the country

December 19, 2016

Betsy DeVos’ nomination to be America’s next Secretary of Education continues to receive praise from opinion makers across the country:

Juan Williams, The Hill: “With Trump, DeVos, Alexander and Foxx soon to be in charge of setting federal education policy, this is the best chance for education reform in a generation.”

The Detroit News: “DeVos’ Journey From Choice Leader To Trump Appointee”

• “The journey of Betsy DeVos from west Michigan school choice advocate to U.S. Education Department secretary designate began in the late 1980s, when her own children were enrolled in a Christian school in Ada.” 

• “It set the DeVoses on a decades-long mission to change public education in Michigan, building a potent political machine in Lansing along the way.”

• “‘For me, it is simple. I trust parents, and I believe in our children,’ Betsy said Dec. 9 in remarks at a Trump rally in suburban Grand Rapids. ‘The answer isn’t bigger government. The answer is local control. It is listening to parents. And it’s giving more choices.’”

Denisha Merriweather, The Hill: “Why We Must Give Betsy DeVos And School Choice Chance”

• “The prospect of a U.S. education secretary who grasps the importance of providing low-income students and their parents with the right to access better options is long overdue.”

• “As one of the nation’s most passionate advocates for school choice and greater educational opportunities for at-risk children, this is a lesson that DeVos can help the entire nation learn.” 

Rachel Campos-Duffy: “I’ll tell you that the nominee I’m most excited about is Betsy DeVos. If you can break the government monopoly on education and especially for charter schools and having that go nationwide, boy you can change the entire country. And this is something as a mom, and as a minority, as a Hispanic woman, is very dear to my heart because there really is inequality in education and it has been perpetuated by the left and we have somebody now who is scaring the unions, and that means she’s probably a good choice.”  

Dana Perino: “Actually, one of the most hopeful Cabinet posts has been Betsy DeVos of Michigan as Secretary of Education because of something that, Juan you know very well, which is about improving schools by offering choice to parents, and if she can help on that I think it will be good.” 

Steve Forbes: “Yes, and sadly the party, the other party, is only interested in pitting one group against, yeah they’re playing that kind of divisive politics. Trump is really result-politics: get the economy moving and the fact that he appointed Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary, education that’s where it starts, whether it’s rural areas or inner cities, giving people a real chance.”

Jim Barrett, Lansing State Journal: “For nearly 30 years, Betsy DeVos has been leading the charge for expanded choice, improved quality and enhanced accountability in education.”

• “As Secretary of the U.S. Education Department, the rest of the country will soon see the discipline and passion of Betsy DeVos. And the country will be better off because of her service.”

Steve Turley, The Christian Post: “Why Betsy DeVos, School Choice Represent The Future Of Education”

• “What all of this means of course is that with her support for school choice and the charter school movement, DeVos is far more in touch with current social and educational trends than is Krauss.”

Lindsey M. Burke, Tribune News Service: “DeVos Will Be A Breath Of Fresh Air For Parents, Students Alike”

• “But parents have one simple reason to be optimistic: DeVos has been a champion for educational choice across the country. Her support for school choice goes beyond mere lip service. She has worked to advance viable options for students and families, including charter schools, vouchers, tuition tax credit scholarships and education savings accounts.

“Pursuing a package of reforms that begins the important work of making federal education funding limited, targeted and — most importantly — student-centered and portable can help restore state and local control of education and will better serve students and taxpayers nationwide.”