Ms. Betsy DeVos, secretary of education for the Trump administration, is a billionaire with a passion for donating to political causes. In 2015 alone, Betsy DeVos and her husband Dick gave $11.6 million to charitable organizations, doubling the $5.3 million they donated for various campaigns over the last five years. Their total charitable contributions over the course of their lifetimes add up to almost $139 million.

 

The DeVos couple has played a huge role in Republican politics for decades. The dynasty was led by Dicks father, Amway co-founder Rich DeVos. Rich and his for grown children donated more than $1 million in charitable donations in 2015, earning the family 24th place in “America’s Top Givers” list for 2015 by Forbes.

 

Philanthropy held an interview with Ms. DeVos in April of 2013. The discussion mostly focused on educational reform with an emphasis on school choice. Two questions and Ms. DeVos’ answers are paraphrased below.

 

 

Philanthropy: The first principle case for school choice was made 50 years ago. It has been nearly 25 years since the state of Wisconsin introduced the first private-school voucher program in the nation. How do you feel about progress in this area as of right now?

 

 

Ms. DeVos: I have never been more optimistic. As of this moment, there are about 250,000 students in 33 publicly funded private programs in 17 states including D.C. This number is growing exponentially. Programs in Arizona, Ohio and Pennsylvania have expanded while new programs in Missouri, Louisiana and New Hampshire are opening. The ability to choose where your children are educated is extremely popular among Americans, especially those of Latino origin. People are taking note of these events as they demonstrate the failure of traditional public schools to educate. The American public is much more open these days to what were once considered extremely radical reforms such as tax credits and educational savings accounts.

 

 

Philanthropy: Aside from the increased opportunities for educational choice, what do you see as especially promising in education reform strategies?

 

 

Ms. Devos: My main focus is educational choice. However, in a broader sense, we are also trying to tear down the mindset that students are assigned to a school based on the zip code of their parent’s home. We want to create as much freedom as possible so that children in low-income areas can still get an education as good as children who live in high-end communities. In the internet age, it seems to me that the tendency to link education with a school building is going to be reduced. In the right legislative environment, this freedom will improve education for our kids, making the next generation stronger and better able to be leaders that can make the world a better place.

 

 

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