Two years ago, Mother Jones published a lengthy and excellent article about the DeVos family, how they became billionaires, and how they turned Michigan into a “right to work” state.
They are “the new Kochs,” determined to crush the left, especially labor unions and public education.
“THE DEVOSES sit alongside the Kochs, the Bradleys, and the Coorses as founding families of the modern conservative movement. Since 1970, DeVos family members have invested at least $200 million in a host of right-wing causes—think tanks, media outlets, political committees, evangelical outfits, and a string of advocacy groups. They have helped fund nearly every prominent Republican running for national office and underwritten a laundry list of conservative campaigns on issues ranging from charter schools and vouchers to anti-gay-marriage and anti-tax ballot measures. “There’s not a Republican president or presidential candidate in the last 50 years who hasn’t known the DeVoses,” says Saul Anuzis, a former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.
“Nowhere has the family made its presence felt as it has in Michigan, where it has given more than $44 million to the state party, GOP legislative committees, and Republican candidates since 1997. “It’s been a generational commitment,” Anuzis notes. “I can’t start to even think of who would’ve filled the void without the DeVoses there….”
Forbes ranks the DeVos family at #60 of the richest 400 families in America. They are noted for their generosity to Christian and conservative causes.
In selecting Betsy DeVos for the role of Education Secretary, Trump has chosen someone who looks on public schools with contempt. She will use her influence to harm public education and the teaching profession.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
One more time, “Christianity” in scary quotes used as a cover for ethnic purity — “Pure Michigan” — apologetics of slavery (Reich to Arbeit), and white supremacy.
“When fascism comes to America it will come wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross.” Sinclair Lewis
The NYT has a great article about why she won’t be able to do these things. Also, with the news about Russia’s involvement in media manipulation, the legitimacy of Trump/Pence will be universally doubted, with good reason.
That article was written by a reformer who loves charters.
Well, Diane I and many others argued that without fighting capitalism school reform makes no sense. As you know, I have covered the DeVos family for some time, since 2009 through 2014. Also, in my book on Charters, 2nd edition.
You cannot reform capitalism. FDR stated: “I saved capitalism” when he passed the New Deal and he did. Now the FDR New Deal is a privatized New Deal for you cannot regulate a criminal enterprise.
The education of youth and adults must now be found within organizations devoted to building socialism. If not, then we will be back to arguing for capitalist schools.
Hope you see this now, Diane. Cyber charters are the future.
This morning I faxed my U.S. Senators to oppose nomination of DeVos for Sec. of Education. I urge everyone of Diane’s supporters to fax and sign the fax to your U.S. Senators. If yours is a Republican all the more reason to write. I have 2 Democratic Senators and I am positive they will fight this appointment. I also have 2 gay sons and Betsy DeVos believes in conversion of gays. How unscientific can you be. This is NOT a person we want setting any policy much less education policy.
Why bother with writing to THEIR Congressmen. They do not care or worse, they support fascism in America. forget liberalism, go out and organize.
The Trump administration is a rogue’s gallery of billionaire reactionaries, regressives, plutocrats, oligarchs and far right wing radical loons. Their main message is limited government, privatize everything, deregulation, tax cuts for the rich, tax cuts for the corporations, destroy the unions and every woman/man for her/himself which they ironically refer to as “personal responsibility.” They want to get rid of the commons and the common good, except for things like military and the police.
Trump and DeVos are big voucher promoters. From blue jersey.com, the top 6 reasons why vouchers are bad, very, very bad: 1) Lack of quality control, 2) First Amendment, Separation of Church and State issues, 3) There is a supply-side problem, 4) Exclusion of “more expensive” students, 5) Vouchers give the actual final “choices” to schools, not parents, 6) Voucher amounts are just too low for most kids to afford private school.
For the details and explication go to the bluejersey web site.
blue jersey link: http://www.bluejersey.com/2016/11/trumps-school-voucher-plan-no-reason-to-give-thanks/
Of course, the editors of the Wall Street Journal Had nothing but praise for Betsy as the crusader who will “liberate kids from failing Schools.” They also offered praise for more choice and union busting wins in Indiana, North Carolina, New York and California.
Devos is given a dose of high praise and high hope on restoring for-profit higher ed and elimination of Title IX. The windup…”Mr Trump has picked a nominee who knows how to fight and make the moral case for reform.”
The last line almost made me lose my breakfast. The WSJ is a freebie at my local haunt for breakfast. It usually gets my adrenaline up a lot faster than coffee.
Public school advocates should give up on DC. It’s a poor investment of our time and money. They’re gone. They’ve been anti-public schools for 20 years and this is just the last nail in the coffin.
Look at this as an opportunity. Ed reform has abandoned public schools. It is now up to us and our communities. These national political fights between various political factions of the ed reform movement are irrelevant to public schools and will only serve to distract and divide us.
Let these people go. They’ll fight over charter school funding versus private school funding and jockey for power and influence and public schools can go on without them.
We don’t need them. It doesn’t matter if they have contempt for our schools or communities. We don’t need the permission or approval of billionaires or political operatives to support our local schools. We can go on without them.
“Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, Betsy Devos, isn’t just a longtime hater of public education. She isn’t just a covert political fixer sharing the mantle of “Boss” with gambling boss Sheldon Adelson.
Devos, sister of Blackwater’s Erik Prinz, heiress to the Amway fortune, longtime polluter extraordinaire, from their massive plant in Ada, Michigan, is the most powerful woman in America.
Devos is the power behind GOP obstructionism that has kept Guantanamo open, that has blocked nearly all Obama political nominations and it is Betsy Devos that decides who runs for office, who gets to be a judge, who gets key appointments.
She is very “hands on.”
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2016/11/25/trumps-betsy-will-stun-you-maybe-to-death/
Recent Andy Borowitz quotes:
http://www.eclectablog.com/2016/11/dick-and-betsy-devos-avoided-paying-school-taxes-on-summer-home.html
Reblogged this on Network Schools – Wayne Gersen and commented:
I would make one correction to Diane Ravitch’s concluding paragraph: “In selecting Betsy DeVos for the role of Education Secretary, Trump has chosen an anti-public education billionaire lobbyist.”
One correction: In selecting Betsy DeVos for the role of Education Secretary, Trump has chosen AN ANTI-PUBLIC EDUCATION BILLIONAIRE LOBBYIST…. So much for swamp drainage…