WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald Trump has selected a charter school advocate and GOP donor from Michigan to be education secretary.
Betsy DeVos becomes the second woman chosen to fill a spot in Trump’s Cabinet. Earlier Wednesday, Trump named South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations earlier in the day.
Both selections require Senate confirmation.
Trump calls DeVos “a brilliant and passionate education advocate.”
DeVos heads the advocacy group American Federation for Children. She’s known for supporting charter schools and vouchers.
Before Trump’s announcement, some conservatives were complaining about DeVos’ ties to the political establishment. They also warned that she previously supported Common Core standards that Trump railed against during the campaign.
Media has been reporting her as a ‘common core advocate. However, she says she is not. Here is her response to that:
Many of you are asking about Common Core. To clarify, I am not a supporter—period. Read my full stance, here: https://t.co/qB2nAXvX0B
— Betsy DeVos (@BetsyDeVos) November 23, 2016