Education

Federal File

February 28, 2001 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Waiting on Deck

President Bush plans to name William D. Hansen, a higher education lobbyist, to the No. 2 spot at the Department of Education and Pennsylvania Secretary of Education Eugene W. Hickok to the No. 3 slot, sources said last week.

While those selections have been widely discussed among Washington observers since mid-February, the White House had not made an official announcement as of press time last Friday. Lindsay Kozberg, the acting press secretary for Secretary of Education Rod Paige, said the administration would not comment on any appointments until they are official.

As the apparent choice for deputy secretary of education, the second-ranking position in the department, Mr. Hansen would likely oversee the day-to-day operations of the agency and advise Mr. Paige on policy matters.

Mr. Hansen served as the Education Department’s assistant secretary for management and budget and chief financial officer during the first Bush administration. Some observers noted that that experience could prove useful to Mr. Paige, the former superintendent of schools in Houston, who has never before worked in the federal government.

Since 1993, Mr. Hansen has been the executive director of the Education Finance Council, a Washington group that lobbies for student-loan lenders. He is also serving on the Bush transition team.

Mr. Hickok, who helped found the Education Leaders Council, an organization of mostly conservative state school officials, is expected to be named the undersecretary of education, a post that is mainly involved in policy and strategic-planning activities. A well-known advocate for such measures as block grants for federal education aid, Mr. Hickok is currently advising the transition team.

The department is reportedly realigning responsibilities to make the No. 3 job more palatable to Mr. Hickok, who originally wanted the deputy’s job, sources say.

—Joetta L. Sack federal@epe.org

A version of this article appeared in the February 28, 2001 edition of Education Week

Events

Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How AI Use Is Expanding in K-12 Schools
Join this free virtual event to explore how AI technology is—and is not—improving K-12 teaching and learning.
Federal Webinar The Trump Budget and Schools: Subscriber Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
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
Curriculum Webinar
End Student Boredom: K-12 Publisher's Guide to 70% Engagement Boost
Calling all K-12 Publishers! Student engagement flatlining? Learn how to boost it by up to 70%.
Content provided by KITABOO

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 Quiz Are You Keeping Up With Trump’s Big Changes to K-12 Funding? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz How Is Trump Changing School Discipline Rules? Take This Week’s Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: April 30, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz What Is Trump’s New AI Plan for K-12 Schools? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Illustration of tasks assisted with AI.
Canva