Education

Federal File

January 17, 2001 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

HELP for Clinton

President Clinton may be leaving office this week, but the Senate education committee hasn’t seen the last of his legacy.

His wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., was one of two Democrats named last week as new members of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

The other is Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, who last summer was considered a top contender to become Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore’s vice presidential running mate.

Thanks to an election that produced a 50-50 divide in the Senate, all committees will now have equal party representation. In the previous Congress, the HELP Committee had 10 Republicans and eight Democrats.

Committee resources for staffing will also be evenly divided. Republican James M. Jeffords of Vermont will remain the chairman.

Mrs. Clinton made education a top priority during her campaign. She emphasized many staples of her husband’s agenda, such as providing federal aid for school construction and class-size reduction.


No hard feelings

Education historian Diane Ravitch, who resigned as an adviser to President-elect Bush’s 2000 campaign over his refusal to meet with a group of gay Republicans, has agreed to help the Bush-Cheney transition team prepare an education agenda. (“Ravitch Leaves Bush Campaign Over Log Cabin Stance,” Jan. 12, 2000.)

She is among 31 people serving on an advisory group for that purpose.

“I’m happy to give advice to whoever’s elected president,” said Ms. Ravitch, a Brookings Institution senior fellow who served as an assistant education secretary for President George Bush, the president-elect’s father.

She noted that when she advised the campaign, she was expected at times to speak on Mr. Bush’s behalf. But this role is different, Ms. Ravitch said.

“I’m not being asked to speak on his views,” she said. “I’m being asked to speak on my views.”

—Erik W. Robelen

A version of this article appeared in the January 17, 2001 edition of Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Personalized Learning Webinar
Expanding Teacher Impact: Scaling Personalized Learning Across Districts
Explore personalized learning strategies that transform classrooms and empower educators.
Content provided by DreamBox Learning
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
How to Leverage Virtual Learning: Preparing Students for the Future
Hear from an expert panel how best to leverage virtual learning in your district to achieve your goals.
Content provided by Class
English-Language Learners Webinar AI and English Learners: What Teachers Need to Know
Explore the role of AI in multilingual education and its potential limitations.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education From Our Research Center What's on the Minds of Educators, in Charts
Politics, gender equity, and technology—how teachers and administrators say these issues are affecting the field.
1 min read
Stylized illustration of a pie chart
Traci Daberko for Education Week
Education Briefly Stated: August 30, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 23, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: August 16, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read