Federal

Federal File

October 10, 2001 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Paige Lieutenant Leaves

More than eight months into the Bush administration, the Department of Education’s executive suite has seen its first departure.

Secretary of Education Rod Paige’s chief of staff, Terry R. Abbott, left that position last week and was replaced by John Danielson, an aide to Secretary Lamar Alexander during the first Bush administration.

The change was announced in the afternoon of Friday, Sept. 28, effective the following Monday, Oct. 1. Mr. Abbott was unavailable for comment last week.

Mr. Abbott, Mr. Paige’s communications director during the secretary’s days as the Houston superintendent of schools, will take a public relations job in another, as-yet- unspecified federal agency.

The chief of staff’s position is seen as one of the most important—and stressful—behind-the-scenes jobs in any federal agency. The person serves as the secretary’s top aide and oversees a wide range of policy, personnel, and political issues.

Some department workers suggested Mr. Abbott was not the right fit for the job, and that he was inaccessible and uncommunicative—a contrast to the high marks he received in handling communications in Houston. That mirrors internal critiques of Mr. Paige that surfaced earlier, about the time the secretary was rumored—incorrectly—to be headed back to Texas. (“Paige Asserts He’ll Smooth Early Bumps,” July 11, 2001.)

Mr. Abbott, 40, began his career at age 18 as a reporter at the Cullman (Ala.) Times, a small daily newspaper. While attending college at night, he worked his way up to a larger Alabama newspaper and later was Republican Gov. Guy Hunt’s press aide.. He also ran several campaigns for Congress before going to Houston in 1996.

After working in Washington, Mr. Danielson, 38, returned to his native Houston. He then started a company that contracted with the Houston district in 1997 to provide alternative education services to help schools educate low-performing and disruptive students.

—Joetta L. Sack federal@epe.org.

Related Tags:

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
Mathematics Webinar
Engaging Every Learner: Strategies to Boost Math Motivation
Math Motivation Boost! Research & real tips to engage learners.
Content provided by Prodigy 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
Student Well-Being Webinar
The Ripple Effect: Mental Health & Student Outcomes
Learn how student mental health impacts outcomes—and how to use that data to support your school’s IEP funding strategy.
Content provided by Huddle Up
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.

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

Federal Judge Reverses Ed. Dept.'s Abrupt End to States' Time to Spend COVID Relief
The order comes after Education Secretary Linda McMahon effectively canceled more than $1 billion in remaining pandemic relief funding.
4 min read
Conceptual illustration of a coin in the top section of an hour glass
Dumitru Ochievschi/iStock/Getty
Federal Opinion Trump's Barrage of Executive Orders for Education: How Significant Are They?
A Washington insider discusses the immediate—and long-term—implications of the administration's education goals.
8 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Admin. From Dismantling Library Services Agency
The president referred to the agency as "unnecessary" in a March executive order, after which it started winding down many operations.
2 min read
President Donald Trump arrives at Tuscaloosa National Airport, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
President Donald Trump arrives at Tuscaloosa National Airport, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. A federal judge blocked the president's attempt to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
Federal Opinion We’re All to Blame for What Has Become of the U.S. Dept. of Education
The trouble started decades ago with a flawed plan to improve America’s schools, writes a former New York superintendent.
Michael V. McGill
5 min read
Illustration of pointing fingers.
DigitalVision Vectors<br/>