Betsy DeVos Trump's education secretary  is a polarizing figure
Betsy DeVos
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday tapped Michigan billionaire and charter school advocate Betsy DeVos as  his  choice for education secretary  a move that has prompted a flurry of praise and backlash from either political side throughout the week.
 DeVos   a fierce proponent of school vouchers allowing students to use public funds to attend private schools  heads up the nonprofit American Federation for Children and is a former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party.
 She  has been active in politics for almost 40 years  since  she  began volunteering for President Gerald Ford in 1976  and has since served on the Republican National Committee  the Alliance for School Choice  and the Foundation for Excellence in Education.
Trump  who supports vouchers and charter schools  called  DeVos  a "brilliant and passionate education advocate."
 DeVos  is still a relatively unknown name at the national level  but  she  has become a prominent and polarizing figure in Michigan  where  she  fought for years against charter school regulation.
 She  helped pass the state's charter school law in 1993  and  she  later funded a ballot initiative in 2000 that would have enshrined a right to vouchers in the state's constitution.  Her  advocacy has made  her  appointment a lightning rod for Democrats  while Republicans who opposed Trump's candidacy  such as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush  have heaped praise on the move.
The Michigan Democratic Party released a statement calling  DeVos  a "dangerous and ill-advised pick" and an "anti-public education activist " accusing  her  of attacking the state's public school system and its teachers for the sake of profits of investors in charter schools.
"Here is someone  in Betsy DeVos  who has made it  her  life's work to channel  her  family's massive wealth toward destroying Michigan's public education system " the party said in a statement.
I am honored to work with the President-elect on his vision to make American education great again. The status quo in ed is not acceptable. â Betsy DeVos (@BetsyDeVos) November 23  2016
But DeVos has also attracted criticism from some conservatives because of her association with organizations that have supported the Common Core education standards. The website Breitbart  which was fervently supportive of Trump's candidacy  blared in a headline: "Donald Trump Announces Pro-Common Core Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary."
President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday tapped Michigan billionaire and  [TGT]  as  his  choice for education secretary  a move that has prompted a flurry of praise and backlash from either political side throughout the week.
  [TGT] a fierce proponent of school vouchers allowing students to use public funds to attend private schools  heads up the nonprofit American Federation for Children and is a former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party.
  [TGT]   has been active in politics for almost 40 years  since   [TGT]   began volunteering for President Gerald Ford in 1976  and has since served on the Republican National Committee  the Alliance for School Choice  and the Foundation for Excellence in Education.
Trump  who supports vouchers and charter schools  called   [TGT] a "brilliant and passionate education advocate."
  [TGT] is still a relatively unknown name at the national level  but  she  has become a prominent and polarizing figure in Michigan  where  she  fought for years against charter school regulation.
 She  helped pass the state's charter school law in 1993  and  she  later funded a ballot initiative in 2000 that would have enshrined a right to vouchers in the state's constitution.  Her  advocacy has made  her  appointment a lightning rod for Democrats  while Republicans who opposed Trump's candidacy  such as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush  have heaped praise on the move.
The Michigan Democratic Party released a statement calling   [TGT] a "dangerous and ill-advised pick" and an "anti-public education activist " accusing   [TGT]   of attacking the state's public school system and its teachers for the sake of profits of investors in charter schools.
"Here is someone  in  [TGT] who has made it   [TGT]   life's work to channel   [TGT]   family's massive wealth toward destroying Michigan's public education system " the party said in a statement.
I am honored to work with the President-elect on his vision to make American education great again. The status quo in ed is not acceptable. â Betsy DeVos (@BetsyDeVos) November 23  2016
But  [TGT]  has also attracted criticism from some conservatives because of  [TGT]  association with organizations that have supported the Common Core education standards. The website Breitbart  which was fervently supportive of Trump's candidacy  blared in a headline: "Donald Trump Announces Pro-Common Core  [TGT]  as Education Secretary."