I just got off the phone with a reporter wanting names of the primary contenders for the Secretary of Education spot if either Barack Obama or John McCain wins in November. Here are my thoughts:
John McCain
--??Lisa Graham Keegan has to be considered the front-runner, if only because she's McCain's most trusted and visible education advisor (and has been for years). Plus she was a great state superintendent in Arizona, is telegenic, loves school choice and accountability, and is loved in return by the conservative/libertarian base. The only problem: her tenure at the Education Leaders Council ended in a mess, which might make Senate confirmation challenging.
-- Tim Pawlenty is a real contender too. Passed over for the V.P. slot, he's still got one of the highest profiles on education of any GOP governor, in part because he chairs the Education Commission of the States . He also pushed a major merit pay program in Minnesota and is good on choice and accountability. Surely he'll get a job in a McCain Administration; the only question is whether this will be the one.
-- I still think Mike Huckabee could be on the list. (Read more here .) He also chaired ECS, made support for art and music education a major piece of his presidential campaign, and might want a high-profile post with which he could stay in the national spotlight. (Younger readers: when Bill Bennett was secretary of education, it actually was a high-profile post.)
-- What if McCain goes for a Democrat for this slot? He's already promised a bipartisan cabinet. Still, conservatives will scream if he appoints anyone cozy with the teachers unions or opposed to school vouchers. So how about Cory Booker , Newark's mayor? He's a young up-and-comer who is happy to bash the unions and promotes all manner of school choice. And, yes, he's a Democrat to boot. (He supports Obama for president but if McCain ends up winning...well, who knows?)
Barack Obama
-- Janet Napolitano , Arizona's governor, is someone I'm hearing more about lately. As the chair of the National Governors Association, she promoted "competitiveness," including through education. She chaired the Center for American Progress's task force on education , and she's generally considered a tough manager. I'm not sure she would excite either side of the Democratic schism (the unions or the reformers) but she would make for a safe pick.
-- If Obama wants to side with the reformers, Jon Schnur might be the selection. He's been one of Obama's most visible surrogates on the education issue, runs New Leaders for New Schools, and served in the Clinton Department of Education. He might be considered too young, though, or too chilly towards the unions.
-- Linda Darling Hammond is the right choice if Obama wants to solidify his base. But I strongly doubt he'll go this way for his top pick, as it would indicate that he's a conventional Democrat, after all. No one in the U.S. has done more to try to kill the Teach For America program--the bastion of the liberal education reform crowd.
-- Former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt is a better pick if Obama wants to appeal to both the unions and reformers. He's a masterful politician, a Southerner, and widely respected on both sides of the aisle. He's also passionate about national standards and tests and could conceivably be the one person capable of making that idea a reality.
Am I missing anyone? Let me know.
