After a few calendar week of conjecture , it looks like President - electTrump has finally picked the education repository for his incoming administration : Betsy DeVos .
Two weeks ago , bets were on Dr Ben Carsonto be pick , a highly qualified neurosurgeon who simultaneously believed the Earth was no older than 10,000 years old . He also once said the Biblical figureJoseph built the Egyptian pyramidsto computer storage grain . As you could reckon , the scientific community was pretty stressed about the mind of this guy set education policy .
However , it look like he ’s been trumped . This hebdomad it ’s been officially announced the lesser - know physical body of Betsy DeVos has take the post .
Whoever is in the hot can for the Education Secretary plays a very significant theatrical role for scientific education and science as a whole , as they have a strong say in what school receive funding and which subject receive attending . This can also have a subtle effect of setting the climate where scientific discipline can either fly high or shrink away .
For a bit of background , DeVos is a billionaire philanthropist , hump to be a generous donor to the Republican Party . She has served on numerous Department of Education philanthropy plank , although she has never professionally make in the public education system .
She grew up as a member of the Christian Reformed Church in North America and was educated at Calvin College , the educational institution of the same church .
This is aprotestant denomination that believesthat “ all scientific theory be subject to Scripture and the confession . ” It also claim that “ humanity is make in the picture of God ; all theorizing that minimizes this fact and all theory of phylogenesis that abnegate the originative natural action of God are rejected . ”
Most commentators say she is not expected to apply hard-line religious beliefs to the curriculum , harmonise toWashington Post .
“ It would be a fault to put her in the Religious Right camp . That ’s not who she is , ” Doug Koopman , a political scientist at Calvin College , toldWashington Post .
Nevertheless , she is well known for her philanthropic efforts in Christian cause . Along with her hardened belief in the gratis - market , this has led hoi polloi to believe she will favor in camera own and religious schools over public school .
The US National Education Associationreleased a statementin reaction to the assignment , saying :
“ Her efforts over the age have done more to undermine public education than support students . She has lobby for fail dodging , like vouchers — which take away funding and local ascendence from our public schools — to fund private schools at taxpayers ’ expense . These system do nothing to help our most vulnerable students while they ignore or worsen flagrant opportunity interruption . She has consistently pushed a corporate agenda to privatise , de - professionalize and impose cooky - cutter solutions to public Department of Education . "
Much of Trumps ’ stance on training during his campaign was rallying to abolish the Common Core , the educational guidelines of mathematics and reading adopted by most states . DeVos previously devil conservatives because of her tie to groups that supported these guidelines , althoughshe has since claimedshe is not a supporter of Common Core .
