Sen. Coats Chooses Not To Challenge Jeffords
The Senates most liberal Republican will be in charge of the chambers education policy starting in January.
Sen. James M. Jeffords of Vermont is unopposed to become the chairman of the Labor and Human Resources Committee after a conservative colleague, Sen. Dan Coats of Indiana, said last week he would not compete for the job. The slot is vacant because of the retirement of Sen. Nancy Landon Kassebaum of Kansas.
Committee members from the majority party elect their chairman, usually choosing the member with the longest service. Mr. Jeffords and Mr. Coats both arrived in the Senate on Jan. 3, 1989, but Mr. Jeffords’ 14 years in the House of Representatives outranks Mr. Coats’ service there by six years.
Mr. Coats, who is one of the Senate’s most prominent school voucher supporters, considered challenging Mr. Jeffords for the post, but last week said he would not.
Two Job Searches Target Dallas Superintendent
Yvonne Gonzalez, Dallas’ interim superintendent, interviewed with federal Department of Education officials for a job just as the school district was getting serious in its search for a permanent leader.
“She’s believed to be the front-runner [for the Dallas job] because she is acting superintendent,” said Jon Dehlander, a spokesman for the 155,000-student district. He confirmed that Ms. Gonzalez traveled to Washington for an interview on Nov. 22.
Education Department officials are seeking to fill three key jobs: assistant secretary for research; deputy assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education; and chief financial officer.
