Who was the best Secretary of Education ?

[Progressivism]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_Education

[Buzz Clik]

1. It was NOT Margaret Spellings.

... bag of hammers.

[teacher gal]

2. I'd say it's been a "Race to the Bottom"

William Bennett (perhaps the worst), Rod Paige, Lamar Alexander, Margaret Spellings, Checker Finn (Assistant Sec. of Ed during the Reagan administration)...

All of the above had certain things in common. None actually worked to support and strengthen public education. On the contrary, all worked to undermine it. All diverted national attention away from confronting poverty and societal ills by blaming public schools for staggering inequalities. Despite no research base to support their initiatives and claims, all favored privatization schemes (NCLB is one case in point). I'd say none even believed in public education. All disseminated one helluva lot of distortions and disinformation about our public schools. Gotta add Arne Duncan now.

Sorry to be so negative but that is how I see it. Public education has been under enormous attack for decades. From the right, from the left, from "Christian" extremists, in the media.

[LWolf]

3. Out of that bunch?

"Best" is relative. I don't know if there has ever been a truly great Secretary of Education. Some weren't as bad as others, some were mildly good.

They aren't even worth ranking, imo.

Obama had the chance to appoint someone who would have been good, or even great. He passed on that.

Ask this question again in another 20 years; see if anyone appoints a good SOE by then.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. This guy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Riley

I heard him speak about 15 years ago. He cared about kids and teachers. He also helped implement Clinton's plan to put the internet in every classroom in America.