Kevin Chavous Gives a Glimpse into Education with Betsy DeVos

By Nicole Jackson
What will education in America look like under Betsy DeVos? If it’s anything like Kevin P. Chavous, a close friend and colleague, describes, we have a lot to look forward to.
Betsy’s long history of fighting for better education options for kids speaks for itself.

• She has 28 years of experience fighting on behalf of students, parents, and teachers to improve our nation’s education system.
• With her husband, she helped found the West Michigan Aviation Academy, a STEM heavy public charter school.
• She is the cofounder of the American Federation for Children and Alliance for School Choice, organizations whose focus is to ensure parents have the right to choose the best education for their child.

But what does this all add up to? And as many have already questioned: How will Betsy’s success as an education advocate and reformer translate into success when she wins the nomination to head the U.S. Department of Education?
In a recent interview on Journal Editorial Report with Paul Gigot, Chavous makes the case for Betsy. Here are some of the highlights.
On Betsy wanting to privatize education:
Nothing could be further from the truth. She really wants to empower parents, because so many kids are trapped in bad schools.
On having a local impact as a federal official:
She will make sure policies are in place that help parents be able to find quality options for their kids.
On her history of bipartisanship when it comes to education:
The hallmark of Betsy’s leadership was when she was our (American Federation for Children) chair – she believes in collaboration. I think that’s going to be a big surprise. She’s going to be a star in the cabinet because she believes in reaching across the aisle and putting politics secondary to the interest of kids.
Be sure to view more of what Chavous believes Betsy will bring to education.