The demeanor of Betsy DeVos is a difficult one to discuss because the public persona we all see is not necessarily the same as that used in private. Betsy DeVos arrived in Washington D.C. soon after the 2016 election victory of President Donald Trump as the Secretary of Education for the newly installed leader of the free world. However, almost immediately, DeVos was thrust into the spotlight as she fought against a decision by the President and Attorney General Jeff Sessions over an LGBTQ bathroom ruling.
The heiress to the Prince Industries fortunes has made a name for herself as one of the leading campaigners for education reform in the nation. However, there is more to the work of Betsy DeVos than simply making speeches and being able to offer a smiling face to the programs offered around the U.S. DeVos is known in her home state of Michigan as one of the most influential education reformers of all time with a steely determination to see her agenda completed in each state.
One of the areas that many of her political allies and opponents have pointed to when discussing the arrival of Betsy DeVos in the capital of the nation is the ability of the reformer to adapt. Betsy DeVos has been looking to take on a range of new opinions and ideas that will increase the success of the education reform movement. DeVos has been about much more than simply moving the education sector forward with her interests and abilities stretching across various areas of philanthropy and policy issues.
What is clear when it comes to the political future of Betsy DeVos is that she will not be seen as some form of political mouthpiece for the President. Instead, the work of Betsy DeVos is based around her personal beliefs that can often fly in the face of what one expects a Christian Conservative to believe. The initial battle over LGBTQ bathroom use was a prime example of the desire of Betsy DeVos to evolve and work with her staff to improve the lives of students around the nation. DeVos made a positive impact on her staff when she made sure to inform them of the decision by the President to limit bathroom use by LGBTQ students and make sure all members of the community in her department her aware of what was happening.
The perceived lack of political experience was not a problem for Betsy DeVos because she has spent the last few years looking for different ways of influencing experienced politicians across the U.S. Heading to the states of Louisiana and Florida, Betsy DeVos convinced Governor Jindal and top Republican Marco Rubio to follow her path to charter schools and school choice programs.