Opinion Blog


Rick Hess Straight Up

Education policy maven Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute think tank offers straight talk on matters of policy, politics, research, and reform. Read more from this blog.

Federal Opinion

New Year’s Resolutions for Those Moving Into the U.S. Department of Ed.

By Rick Hess — December 30, 2020 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

It’s (finally) time to bid goodbye to 2020 and welcome a new year. In a few weeks, President-elect Biden will be sworn in. Among other things, that means it’s moving season for Trump appointees at the U.S. Department of Education and that Biden’s team will soon take charge. As the new crowd thinks about what’s ahead, it’s a propitious time to dust off these New Year’s Resolutions I penned four years ago for the benefit of Betsy DeVos’ soon-to-be staff. I think they’re broadly applicable this time around, too.

1. I’ll tell myself every day: “I’m no smarter than I used to be just because I’ve been hired as a federal bureaucrat.”

2. Because I know that serious people can disagree passionately and sincerely on heated educational questions, I’ll look askance at one-size-fits-all federal directives and instead work to give states and communities the ability to solve problems and own the consequences.

3. I’ll make sure there’s at least one day a month where I’m engaging with and listening to those who disagree with my views. So long as my critics offer me the same courtesy, I pledge not to simply dismiss them as “selfish,” “ignorant,” “misguided,” or “close-minded.” Rather, I’ll respect their willingness to speak up and keep in mind that hard-hitting exchanges can help keep me honest and grounded.

4. I’m in an office that I haven’t “earned” in any real sense and yet have a significant ability to influence the lives of millions of students, educators, and families. Thus, I’ll strive to remember that many of these people may disagree with me as to what’s “right” or in their best interest and to accept their criticisms and disagreements in good faith.

5. However frustrating it may be at times, I’ll keep in mind that the people who do the work in schools, communities, and colleges are usually far better positioned than I am to make judgments about “what works” for their students.

6. I will work to restore the federal role in education to one that respects the constitutional and statutory role of the U.S. Department of Education and I won’t be deterred by the sniping of self-impressed pundits, advocates, and former federal officials.

7. I will remember that it’s Congress’ job to write the nation’s laws, and that the job of executive branch agencies (like the Department of Ed.) is to execute those laws—not to rewrite them or impose their own.

8. I will tell well-meaning foundation staff eager to explore synergies, partnerships, and collaborations with the Department: “I value your work, but Washington should not be in the business of promoting foundation agendas or supporting particular foundation strategies.”

9. I won’t allow all the people sucking up and asking for my time to give me an inflated sense of self. I’ll remember that their affection isn’t actually about me; it’s about access, influence, and money. When I fear I’m forgetting any of this, I’ll call an old friend or colleague who will call bulls$%t . . . and remind me of what I used to say about self-impressed federal bureaucrats.

Related Tags:

The opinions expressed in Rick Hess Straight Up are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

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 Biden Admin. Warns Schools to Protect Students From Antisemitism, Islamophobia
The U.S. Department of Education released a "Dear Colleague" letter reminding schools of their obligation to address discrimination.
3 min read
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in his office at the Department of Education on Sept. 20, 2023 in Washington.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during an interview in his office at the U.S. Department of Education on Sept. 20, 2023 in Washington.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Federal What Educators Should Know About Mike Johnson, New Speaker of the House
Johnson has supported restructuring federal education funding, as well as socially conservative policies that have become GOP priorities.
4 min read
House Speaker-elect Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., addresses members of Congress at the Capitol in Washington on Oct. 25, 2023. Republicans eagerly elected Johnson as House speaker on Wednesday, elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the seat of U.S. power and ending for now the political chaos in their majority.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., addresses members of Congress at the Capitol in Washington on Oct. 25, 2023. Johnson has a supported a number of conservative Republican education priorities in his time in Congress.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Federal America's Children Don't Have a Federal Right to Education. Will That Ever Change?
An education scholar is launching a new research and advocacy institute to make the case for a federal right to education.
6 min read
Kimberly Robinson speaks at the kickoff event for the new Education Rights Institute at the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville, Va., on Oct. 16, 2023.
Kimberly Robinson speaks at the kickoff event for the new Education Rights Institute at the University of Virginia School of Law in Charlottesville, Va., on Oct. 16, 2023.
Julia Davis, University of Virginia School of Law
Federal Q&A Miguel Cardona: There's No 'Magic Strategy' to Help Students Get Back on Track
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said he's focused on supporting schools on work they're already doing to help students achieve.
8 min read
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in his office at the Department of Education on Sept. 20, 2023 in Washington.
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in his office at the Department of Education on Sept. 20, 2023, in Washington. In an interview with Education Week, Cardona said "there hasn’t been another president in our lifetime that has spoken so much on providing dollars for education but also having education be central to the growth of this country."
Mark Schiefelbein/AP