Hostages No More

The Fight for Education Freedom and the Future of the American Child

By: Betsy DeVos

Narrated by: Betsy DeVos

Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

From coronavirus lockdowns to critical race theory in the classroom, it has become crystal clear that America’s schools aren’t working for America’s students and parents. No one knows this better than Betsy DeVos.

Long before she was tapped by President Trump to serve as secretary of education, DeVos established herself as one of the country’s most influential advocates for education reform, from school choice and charter schools to protecting free speech on campus. She’s unflinching in standing up to the powerful interests who control and benefit from the status quo in education—which is why the unions, the media, and the radical left made her public enemy number one.

Now, DeVos is ready to tell her side of the story after years of being vilified by the radical left for championing common-sense, conservative reforms in America’s schools.

In Hostages No More, DeVos unleashes her candid thoughts about working in the Trump administration, recounts her battles over the decades to put students first, hits back at “woke” curricula in our schools, and details the reforms America must pursue to fix its long and badly broken education system. And she has stories to tell: DeVos offers blunt insights on the people and politics that stand in the way of fixing our schools.

For students, families and concerned citizens, DeVos shares a roadmap for reclaiming education and securing the futures of our kids—and America.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Betsy DeVos (P)2022 Center Street

Critic reviews

"Hostages No More is definitely a page-turner that could form relatable experiences for parents interacting with their children's school systems. It is a great read because Sec. DeVos connected her personal encounters with the present-day education policies. In addition, she consistently calls for bipartisan support on issues such as critical race theory. Overall, there is so much to learn in this new book!"—Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

“In this timely new book, Betsy provides a compelling look at the progress made in education under our administration and offers fresh ideas to put America’s children first and prepare them to achieve and live the American Dream. This is a book for every parent, grandparent, and concerned citizen who cares about the future of America and generations to come.”—Michael R. Pence, 48th Vice President of the United States

“Hostages No More provides readers an inside look at the opposition Secretary Betsy DeVos faced from the day she was nominated and throughout her four years, and her honest efforts to reorient America’s public education system around individual students. Since the introduction of our industrial education model two centuries ago, nearly all students have been held hostage to a single, one-size-fits-all system. Hostages No More takes readers into the back room battles to provide every student with a quality, individualized education. And in a surprise twist, culminates with Secretary DeVos’ very public battles to rely on science, put students first, and re-open America’s public schools–in opposition to the nation’s two largest teachers’ unions fighting tooth and nail to keep public schools closed.”—Jeb Bush, 43rd governor of Florida

The future of education in America imagined

Our ossified system of public education needs radical reorientation away from serving the interests of the adults who run it toward serving those of children and their parents who fund the system. The money should follow each individual child in order for innovation to be unleashed and allow a more nuanced and articulated system to evolve. This is an excellent book and Betsy DeVos is a national treasure.

Everyone with kids needs to hear this.

I love that the author did the reading. I teach in public schools but agree with so much in this book. I have taken much into my own hands for my personal kids.

The Netflix of school systems or Blockbuster…what would you choose?

Your school age child needs you to be educated and this book may be that introductory course for you. In a world that is creating new things and ideas, it is a shame on all of us that we are stuck in an antiquated system started before the first phone call was made.
It makes sense that those in power don’t want you to be educated that there may be a better way. The teachers and students and parents of tomorrow need us to take back our education and do it better, not do it with more money flowing into a certain group’s pockets.
Read this book!
Act!
Reap the results!
Your student will be grateful.

Eye opening

Everyone needs to read or listen to this book. Eye opening as to all the bureaucracy and wasteful spending in government.

Exceptional

Betsy Devos hit a home run when it comes to visionary educational reform. Bravo Betsy!

Inspirational

Appreciated the insights and directives shared in this book. We cannot lose sight at what is best for our children in teaching them how to think and that learning is a lifelong journey. Many thanks to Betsy DeVos.

A real eye-opener

This really explained the proposal of school choice, and how it can (and does in some places) work without destroying public education. Highly recommended!

Hard Book to listen too

My mind is still spinning. I realize now how thankful I am to have raised my family in a small rural community in the Midwest; I sent them to a small town school of around 600 students (K-12) where i knew all their teachers personally & could communicate freely with each one; and finally been naive to the nation’s “Big City” educational ways! The author represents herself as a strong Democrat and has a strong dislike for former President Trump! Maybe that arises as a national government employee of those times! As a former teacher there were points she made that were awakening to me but out here in small town America it was very hard for me to understand!!
I am going to re-read this book but I’m going to put it to rest right now! Again, as a former teacher, parent, grandparent, & proud US citizen I find some of her writing hard to accept!!

Basically an autobiography

It’s a book by Betsy about Betsy. It describes her journey, emphasizing no accountability on her part for her teams inability to accomplish much while placing all blame on the Trump administration. This was a painful waste of an audible credit. I will not get those hours of my life back. So tired of recounting the « horrors » of January 6th. Very disappointed.