abstract:Elisabeth "Betsy" DeVos (née Prince) is an American politician, businesswoman, philanthropist, education activist from the state of Michigan. She has taken a leading role in a number of social, cultural, and political campaigns and organizations, sat on many boards, and served for several years as chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.
His sister, BetsyDeVos, has served as chair of the Michigan Republican Party, and her husband, Dick DeVos, was an unsuccessful Republican candidate for governor of Michigan in 2006.
Education funding is still mostly funded by local taxpayers, and their preferences, for good or ill, will determine the course of American public education more than Bill Gates or BetsyDeVos ever could.
Oddly, while Jilani spends a good deal of time on Dick and BetsyDevos and various other billionaires and foundations, he only mentions the Gates Foundation in an update at the end of the piece.