The question on the mind of most political junkies right is who former Vice President Joe Biden will ... [+]
The question on the mind of most political junkies right now is who former Vice President Joe Biden will pick as his running mate. Of course, that decision matters for the election, but many people are trying to imagine what a Biden administration might look like if he wins in November. He’s already signaled that he would want his cabinet picks to be about moving forward, not looking back to 2008 or 2012.
Most of the speculation around Biden’s potential picks has focused on roles like Attorney General and Secretary of State, but who he picks to lead the Department of Education will be a critical choice. This pick has only become more important with the coronavirus and its unique impact on education, from early childhood education to higher education.
What Biden is looking for in the role is unknown. Last year, he said that he would pick a public school teacher to be Secretary, but that of course can change. Typically, the conversation around the role of Secretary of Education is focused on K-12 education, but the federal role is actually much larger in higher education. Here are some names that he might consider, including some former rivals.
Senator Elizabeth Warren. Warren is currently one of the leading picks to be Biden’s running mate, but if she is not chosen, she’s likely to be considered for a cabinet post. Most think of her as a possible contender to lead Treasury, but she should not be overlooked for Education. Warren started her career as a public school teacher and then became a law school professor, working at several universities. Since joining the Senate, she has served on the committee that oversees education and has been an outspoken critic of current Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and a leader in many areas including for-profit colleges and student debt.
Senator Michael Bennet. Bennet (D-CO) is also likely to be on the list. The former presidential candidate has a unique resume for the position. He formerly served on the education committee in the Senate, but his background in education started before that. Before coming to the Senate, he served as the Superintendent of Denver Public Schools.
Sonja Brookins Santelises. Santelises is currently the CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools. Before she became the CEO she served as a vice president of The Education Trust in Washington, D.C. working on K-12 education policy and practice. She was also the former Chief Academic Officer at Baltimore City Public Schools and served in other administrative roles in Boston before that.
Former Second Lady Jill Biden. Dr. Biden would be an unusual pick given her role as First Lady in a Biden White House. She is a community college professor, a role she continued while serving as Second Lady. She and the Vice President were leaders pushing for tuition-free community college in the Obama Administration. She is unlikely to be chosen for the role of Secretary, but the community college professor’s name is often mentioned and she will likely be influential in education policy, particularly around community college.
Others that might be mentioned for the role include:
- Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman — Kentucky’s lieutenant governor and former public school teacher and principal.
- Governor Tony Evers — Wisconsin’s governor and former Superintendent of Public Instruction.
- Lily Eskelsen Garcia — president of the influential teachers’ union, the National Education Association.
- Randi Weingarten — president of the influential teachers’ union, the American Federation of Teachers.
- Michael Sorrell — president of Paul Quinn College and alumnus of the Clinton Administration.
- Freeman Hrabowski – president of the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Those are just some of the possible contenders for the role. There are likely to be a number of people on the “short list” for the position, including many politicians, teachers, school district leaders, college presidents, and more.
