WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, Trump nominated DeVos, a philanthropist who also headed the Republican Party chapter in the US state of Michigan, to the position US secretary of education.
"I am honored to work with the president-elect on his vision to make American education great again. The status quo in ed[ucation] is not acceptable," DeVos wrote in her statement on Twitter.
DeVos expressed in her statement a desire to bring "transformational change" so as to ensure that US students are given a chance to receive the highest level of education and fulfill their potential.
The nomination has caused a backlash from National Education Association (NEA).
NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia said in a statement that DeVos has consistently advocated for policies that harm public education in the United States.
"Betsy DeVos has consistently worked against these values, and her efforts over the years have done more to undermine public education than support students," Garcia stated.
She explained that Davos has lobbied for the privatization of schools and programs like vouchers that fund private schools with tax funds that would otherwise be used for vulnerable students at public schools.
DeVos' nomination to the position secretary of education needs to be confirmed by the US Senate.
