Debate between ex-administration officials from Trump and Biden administrations on the future of educational policy
Former Education Department Officials Discuss Future of U.S. Education System
In a recent conversation, Jim Blew and Roberto Rodriguez, both former assistant secretaries for planning, evaluation, and policy development at the Education Department, discussed the future of the U.S. education system.
The discussion, which can be watched or listened to on the go, addressed the question of how the country's education system can move forward to create greater student success.
Blew, who held the position under Secretary Betsy DeVos during President Donald Trump's first administration, and Rodriguez, who served under Secretary Miguel Cardona during the Biden administration, shared their perspectives on the topic.
One of the key points made by Blew was the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes a first-ever federal program of tax credits for donations to organizations that provide scholarships for private school tuition and other K-12 services. He argued that this move would contribute to a positive trend away from a dominating federal agency and towards a student-centric approach to school choice.
The Education Department also added $60 million in grants for charter schools, a topic that was addressed during the conversation.
The exchange between Blew and Rodriguez was valuable not just for policy details, but also for their shared perspective on moving the education system forward. Despite their political differences, both men respect each other and share a surprising amount of common ground.
During the conversation, they addressed investment in the teacher workforce, the future of education research, civil rights enforcement, and the harnessing of AI, among other topics.
Rodriguez, who served as a key architect of the Every Student Succeeds Act under President Barack Obama and later led Teach Plus, an organization focused on engaging educators in policy, expressed concerns about the Trump administration's efforts to curb equity and inclusion, which have sown division and confounded college leaders. He also mentioned the Trump administration's freeze on nearly $7 billion in education funds for most of July.
In a bipartisan move, a Senate appropriations committee voted to reject the administration's proposed cuts to Education Department grants and the agency itself.
Before serving at the Education Department, Blew led the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He is also the co-founder of the Defense of Freedom Institute and previously led StudentsFirst, an advocacy group, and the Alliance for School Choice.
The conversation between Blew and Rodriguez is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the future of the U.S. education system, offering insights from two political opposites who have worked in the K-12 education field for most of their careers.
