Federal Photos

Scenes From Betsy DeVos’ ‘Rethinking School’ Tour

By Education Week Photo Staff — September 18, 2017 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos took a six-state “Rethink Education” tour the week of Sept. 11 to kick off the school year, aiming to spotlight promising education approaches, mainly focused on K-12 but with a stopover at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. The tour took her to Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and, finally, Indiana, where she met with students recovering from drug addiction and attended a Friday night high school football game.

In an interview with Education Week at the close of the tour, DeVos talked about what’s next for school choice, implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act, her department’s approach to civil rights protections, and much more.

Here are some of the visual highlights from DeVos’ tour:

Lt. Gen Jay B. Silveria talks with U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos as they walk past Cadet Chapel during her visit to the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado.
DeVos visits a coding class in Omaha, Neb., during a visit to the Midland University-Omaha Campus.
The education secretary reads to kindergartners at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Lincoln, Neb.
Protesters decry Devos’ support of charter schools and vouchers, marching to the Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Lincoln, Neb., as DeVos visited the Lincoln school system’s Science Focus Program/Zoo School.
Zoo School students wearing “I Love Public Schools” T-shirts meet with the secretary during her tour.
Accompanied by principal Anthony Cherry, DeVos is greeted by students at the 21st Century Charter School in Gary, Ind.
DeVos cheers with Eastern Hancock students during a high school football game between Eastern Hancock and rival Knightstown in Charlottesville, Ind.

A version of this article first appeared in the Full Frame blog.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Unlocking Success for Struggling Adolescent Readers
The Science of Reading transformed K-3 literacy. Now it's time to extend that focus to students in grades 6 through 12.
Content provided by STARI
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
Portrait of a Learner: From Vision to Districtwide Practice
Learn how one district turned Portrait of a Learner into an aligned, systemwide practice that sticks.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Federal Trump Admin. Terminates Several Agreements to Protect Transgender Students
The Education Department terminated civil rights agreements under Title IX with five school districts and a college.
1 min read
AB Hernandez, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, packs up her belongings under a canopy as athletes compete in the boys 4x800 meter relay at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., Saturday, May 31, 2025.
AB Hernandez, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, packs up her belongings under a canopy as athletes compete at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., on May 31, 2025. The Trump administration said Monday it has terminated agreements previous administrations reached with five school districts and a college aimed to uphold rights and protections for transgender students.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Federal Moms for Liberty Wanted School Board Seats. They Got a Voice in the White House
Moms for Liberty is being embraced by the Trump administration and gaining new influence in national decisions.
6 min read
Tina Descovich poses for a portrait Monday, March 23, 2026, in Washington.
Tina Descovich poses for a portrait Monday, March 23, 2026, in Washington. The co-founder of Moms for Liberty estimates she's been to the White House a dozen times since the start of the second Trump administration, which has leaned in to many of the culture war battles the organization started fighting at the school board level five years ago.
Allison Robbert/AP
Federal Tracker See Which Ed. Dept. Programs Are Moving to New Agencies: A Tracker
K-12 and higher education programs are heading to new agencies as part of Trump administration downsizing.
1 min read
Photo collaged image of the U.S. Department of Education shattering.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + AP + Getty
Federal Meet the Trump Cabinet Secretaries Taking Over Ed. Dept. Programs
The U.S. Department of Education is shifting more than 100 programs to other federal agencies.
1 min read
President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, on March 26, 2026, in Washington.
President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, on March 26, 2026, in Washington. Six Cabinet members are now on track to have a hand in managing U.S. Department of Education programs.
Alex Brandon/AP