It appears Betsy DeVos‘ days as Secretary of Education may be numbered, as sources suggests she is poised to resign at any time.
According to a profile published by Politico, DeVos has grown frustrated in her role and has learned that her desire to dismantle the government’s “bureaucracy” is much harder than she thought.
–Betsy DeVos faces ‘silent’ protest at Harvard–
Thomas Toch, director of education think tank FutureEd, told Politico that DeVos was ignorant of the job’s constraints when she accepted it and that insiders are already preparing for her to relinquish her role. “She can’t fill her senior staff slots,” he said. “Morale is terrible at the department.”
Before she was confirmed by the Senate, which required a historic tie-breaking vote by Vice President Mike Pence, DeVos was heavily criticized over her lack of knowledge on education policy during her confirmation hearing.
Apparently DeVos blamed her embarrassing hearing performance–where she cited grizzly bears as a reason for having guns in schools–on President Donald Trump’s transition team, claiming she was “undercoached.”
–Betsy DeVos gets dragged for Ms. Frizzle ‘Magic School Bus’ costume–
“I’ll tell you, in Washington education circles, the conversation is already about the post-DeVos landscape, because the assumption is she won’t stay long,” Toch told Politico. “I think she’s been probably one of the most ineffective people to ever hold the job.”
What’s more is that DeVos is largely seen as ineffective in her role, with Politico pointing out that
“if there’s one thing DeVos has learned so far, it’s that getting your way in Washington requires time, patience and government savvy — three things she does not have.”