Recently, it has made the news that president elect Donald Trump has picked Betsy Devos to be his Secretary of Education. Devos is pro for-profit school systems and has promoted this system in her home state of Michigan.  Along with being an education activist, she was the former Republican Party chairwoman of Michigan and a billionaire businesswoman.

She has received criticism for wanting to privatize the public school system, the biggest argument being that privatization has ultimately failed in Michigan where she resides. Over the past 2 decades, 80% of Michigan charter schools have become for-profit, which is a much higher percentage than in other states.  

This kind of privatization results in a very poorly performing school system.  Douglas Harris, a professor of economics at Tulane University, conducted an experiment in Louisiana and found that students who received vouchers saw their standardized test grades drop 8-16 percent. 

So how will this impact public schools under the new presidency? Will there be any benefits? As Secretary of Education, Devos will lobby for privatized schooling and advocate for laws that will use federal dollars for private school tuition. Devos’ education experiments will be paid for with tax dollars.

Devos is not an educator. Though she has a love for children, she does not have any formal education or background in education and is unqualified to hold this position. 

Continually under this incoming administration, we see affluent people being nominated for policy making positions, even though they may have little to no background in the department’s field.  Betsy Devos is unqualified for the position and has perpetuated the education crisis in Michigan, specifically Detroit. We should not allow the wealthy easy access to offices simply because of their funds. Positions should be filled based on candidates’ merit and the positive, beneficial contributions they’ve made to their field.

Works Cited

Westervelt, Eric. “Trump’s Pick For Education: A Free Market Approach To School Choice.” NPR. NPR, 7 Dec. 2016. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

Strauss, Valerie. “A Sobering Look at What Betsy DeVos Did to Education in Michigan — and What She Might Do as Secretary of Education.” The Washington Post. WP Company, 8 Dec. 2016. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

Strauss, Valerie. “What’s the Worst That Could Happen with Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary? Two Scenarios.” The Washington Post. WP Company, 27 Nov. 2016. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.