Confidante
would run education
Wednesday, November 17, 2004 •
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- President Bush's choice for education
secretary, Margaret Spellings, is a friend who long ago won
his trust, helped him win elections and managed his school
agenda in Texas.
To the president, she delivers exactly what he expects
from schools: results.
As Bush's domestic policy adviser, Spellings has helped
shape the news while staying out of it herself. Karl Rove,
the president's political strategist, was quoted this fall
as saying Spellings is "the most influential woman in
Washington that you've never heard of."
Bush has chosen Spellings to replace Rod Paige, an
administration official told the Associated Press yesterday.
An official announcement could come today.
"She understands what he thinks. They're very, very
close," said Sandy Kress, a lawyer who worked at the White
House for Spellings when he was Bush's senior education
adviser.
Spellings worked for six years as Bush's education
adviser in Texas, pushing policies on early reading and
student accountability. They became the model for the
federal law, No Child Left Behind, that Spellings helped put
together from the White House after Bush's election in
2000.
She has overseen a range of domestic policy, from
justice to housing, but schools are an issue of deep
interest. In an online White House public forum, Spellings
has said she's been thrilled to take questions about the new
law: "I love talking about education."
Spellings, 46, will take over leadership of the
Education Department at a critical time. Many lawmakers,
teachers and parents are frustrated by No Child Left Behind,
which gives more attention to poor and minority kids but
penalizes some low-income schools that fall short.
© 2004 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with
permission.
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