The critics, including teachers’ unions and civil-rights activists, focused on her support for charter schools and vouchers, her family’s backing for antigay causes, and her lack of familiarity with public education since both she and her children attended private schools. Still, Ms. DeVos retained strong support from Senate Republicans.
Here’s a look at how we got here, with Chronicle news, analysis, and opinion articles on the nomination.
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NewsIn New Profile, DeVos Blames Staff for Rocky Confirmation Hearing
“The transition group was very circumspect about how much information they gave me about then-current policy,” the education secretary said in a new profile published by Politico Magazine. -
News
How Much Power Does Betsy DeVos Really Hold to Shake Up Higher Ed?
Many of the new secretary’s critics have worried about what she might do, but most education secretaries have left a limited mark on higher education. Here’s why. -
News
Betsy DeVos Survived a Historic Confirmation Fight. What’s Next for Higher Ed?
Some experts wonder how much lawmakers will be able to get done on higher education, given their competing priorities and the bitterness over the new secretary’s selection. -
News
Why Trump’s Billionaire Nominee Has Awakened Such Fierce Opposition
Betsy DeVos, a school-choice advocate, has the Senate’s Republican majority on her side. The education establishment is another matter. -
News
The Battle Lines Over Betsy DeVos
The nominee for education secretary faces bitter opposition from teachers’ unions and civil-rights groups, but is backed by prominent Republicans and others seeking to overhaul public schools. -
News
DeVos Moves From Wealthy Outsider to Cabinet Insider
Trump’s nominee for education secretary has a long history of wielding influence outside of government and behind the scenes. -
News
DeVos Takes Center Stage: Highlights From Her Confirmation Hearing
The education-secretary nominee avoided specifics as senators pressed for her positions on issues including student debt, regulations on for-profit-colleges, and Title IX. -
Government
5 Things to Know About Betsy DeVos
A primer on President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pick for education secretary, whose confirmation hearings begin today. -
Government
Why Most Secretaries of Education Haven’t Had a Higher-Ed Background
Betsy DeVos, President-elect Trump’s pick to head the Education Department, has no track record in higher education. But that’s hardly unusual over the post’s short history. -
The Review
Colleges’ Realities May Curtail DeVos’s Agenda
A huge loan system and day-to-day campus complications can humble any education secretary, no matter how ideologically ardent she is. -
The Review
DeVos Is Clearly No Pushover
Despite her lack of a higher-ed portfolio, Trump’s pick for education secretary combines a passion for education and impressive political skills. -
The Review
Expect DeVos to Apply Her Free-Market Outlook to Colleges
What she’s advocated for in elementary and secondary schools in Michigan has implications for her approach to American colleges. -
Trump's Team
What Does Betsy DeVos Have in Mind for Higher Ed?
Donald Trump’s choice for education secretary has well-established views on elementary and secondary education, but virtually no track record on higher education. Friends and observers say her support for school choice may provide clues to her vision.
