Va. Official Nominated For Spec. Ed. Position
President Bush has nominated a former lieutenant governor and homeland-security chief for Virginia to be the Department of Education’s assistant secretary for special education and rehabilitative services.
John H. Hager, a Republican, most recently served as Virginia’s first homeland-security chief, under Gov. Mark Warner, a Democrat.
“John’s record of public service and his advocacy on behalf of people with disabilities give him a unique perspective and will enhance our efforts to ensure that all children, including those with disabilities, have the opportunity to learn,” Secretary of Education Rod Paige said in a statement on June 2.
Mr. Hager, 67, was elected lieutenant governor of Virginia in 1997 and served a four-year term along with Republican Gov. James Gilmore. He served at the same time as the chairman of the state’s Disability Commission.
If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Hager would replace Robert H. Pasternack, a former state director of special education from New Mexico, who left the assistant secretary’s post in January.
—Erik W. Robelen
Ed. Dept. Issues Brochures On School Choice, Tutoring
“Creating Strong Supplemental Educational Services Programs,” and “Creating Strong District School Choice Programs,” are available from the Department of Education.
School districts needing guidance in meeting federal mandates for public school choice and supplemental educational services have new places to look.
In two new brochures, the Department of Education lays out “promising practices” for offering transfers and extra tutoring to children in schools identified as needing improvement.
The requirements, imposed by the No Child Left Behind Act, apply to schools receiving aid through the federal Title I anti-poverty program.
“Creating Strong District School Choice Programs” profiles five districts the department sees as effectively implementing the law’s transfer provisions: Cambridge, Mass.; Desert Sands, Calif.; Mesa, Ariz.; Miami-Dade County; and Milwaukee.
Five other districts are profiled in “Creating Strong Supplemental Educational Services Programs": Forsyth County, Ga.; Los Angeles; Rochester, N.Y.; San Diego; and Toledo, Ohio.
—Caroline Hendrie
