As an advocate for school choice, Betsy DeVos has gained a lot of ground over her career. Her conservative stance has produced an array of campaigns, committees, and has led to the development of several organizations benefiting policy reform. Accompanied by her husband Dick DeVos, they are most known for their push in school choice.
Betsy takes limited credit for Michigan’s first and only aviation charter school. She says it was her idea, even though Dick put in all the legwork. He has a passion for flying, and that includes a bit of everything, even jets and helicopters. His other passion is education, so Betsy encouraged Dick to combine the two. Each year, a new grade level has been added. Now, the graduating class who completed a solo flight can be identified by a group of white shirts amidst a sea of blue shirts.
Ms. DeVos expressed her optimism by looking out at the direction her efforts have landed. Today, private-choice programs stretch out across 17 states, including the district of Columbia. The 33 publicly funded schools house 250,000 students. The voucher program that made this possible was originally shot down by Michigan voters. Ms. DeVos expressed her sadness, saying there are many underprivileged families that could have benefited from the program.
Ms. DeVos sees the public school system as a failing organization. She explains that we are way behind compared to some countries. Detroit public schools ranked last in national performance. At the same time, Detroit has the highest concentration of charter schools nationally.
The DeVos have been accused of being disconnected from the education system. Both Betsy and Dick attended private schools, as did their children. They are grateful their children were well educated and now feel all families should be given this opportunity. The DeVos advocacy for school choice is derived by the philosophy that regardless of zip code or income, families shouldn’t be forced to accept sub-par education.
Ms. Betsy DeVos shows concern that families are simply grouped by their geography. Low-income families are stuck with what they are handed, and Betsy is making waves to change this. She is focused on education, but breaking this mindset is just as much of a priority. Ms. DeVos believes freedom will be accomplished through the right framework, taking the reins from government and handing the choice back to parents.
