I apologize that the Reform-o-Meter has been slacking as of late. I have suffered from a nasty cold for the last two weeks, which has cut into my productivity, blogging and otherwise. But the Administration marches on and so must our analysis of it.
Today's topic is former McKinsey consultant Tony Miller, recently nominated by President Obama to be the Department of Education's Deputy Secretary. As I already told Education Week (from my sickbed!), it makes sense to hire someone for the "COO" spot who can keep the trains running on time. He's dabbled in education a bit--working with the Los Angeles school district and also the one in Malibu--but mostly he's a business guy who understands turnarounds and implementing complex procedures.
Here's hoping that he brings a breath of fresh air to the Department, which is in constant need of someone asking, "Why do we do it that way?" But here's also expecting that in the end, few bureaucratic procedures will actually change. (That's because the answer to my question is typically "because the Inspector General is making us do it that way." If the Obama Administration can rein in the IG club's Reign of Terror, God bless them.)
But what does Miller's appointment mean for education reform? Not much. This clearly isn't a policy job (even though it's important-the #2 after all-so I'll rank it a five out of ten). It's a management job. And thus this one deserves a rating of Neutral. Do you agree? Cast your vote below.
How would you rate the appointment of Tony Miller to be Deputy Secretary in terms of education reform?(web poll)
