CAPE Outlook December 2016 – President-elect Donald Trump has named Betsy DeVos as his nominee for education secretary, prompting widespread praise from advocates of school choice and signaling a likely sea change at the U.S. Department of Education.
Mrs. DeVos was chairman of the American Federation for Children (AFC), one of the nation’s premier promoters of comprehensive school choice, including vouchers, tax credit scholarships, education savings accounts, and charter schools. During the most recent election cycle, the AFC successfully supported scores of pro-school-choice candidates in primary and general elections across the country. The map of school choice states has expanded significantly in recent years because of AFC’s efforts, a growth documented in the organization’s annual School Choice Yearbook.
John F. Kirtley, vice chairman of the AFC, expressed the organization’s support for Mrs. DeVos: “For more than 20 years, Betsy has fought relentlessly for the right of every child-especially disadvantaged children-to receive a quality education of their parents’ choice. We are confident Betsy will take the same passion, commitment and leadership she’s shown in the school choice movement to the helm of the U.S. Department of Education.”
Read more about the nomination in the December Issue of CAPE Outlook.
