Yearly Progress
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings has, over the past 12 months, tackled unrest over NCLB, the hurricanes' impact on schools, and Buster. What's next?
On a chilly day in December, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings strode into a 4th grade Maryland classroom where the teacher and a handful of students sat on the floor working on fractions. Without hesitation, despite her crisp business suit and heels, Secretary Spellings sank to the carpet to sit among the students.
The move looked unplanned and natural during her appearance at Guilford Elementary School in Columbia, a suburb between Washington and Baltimore, to announce a new special education policy. After a few minutes, she rose to leave, telling the instructor, “Thank you for being a teacher.”
It’s hard to imagine most of her predecessors as education secretary, regardless of how in tune they were with children, flopping to the floor with the students. It’s just a small example of the way Ms. Spellings, 48, has put a more engaging and accessible face on the U.S. Department of Education during her first...
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