Jackson State University interim president Rod Paige is serving on the Secretary Panel on the Every Student Succeeds Act taking place today, Dec 1., at the Transforming Lives Through Education 2016 National Summit on Education Reform in Washington, D.C.
A longstanding champion of student achievement and educational excellence, Paige served as the secretary of education under President George W. Bush from 2001- 2005. Among many significant accomplishments, Paige led the execution of the No Child Left Behind Act and continued to implement ingenious academic improvements as dean of the College of Education at Texas Southern University.
Signed into law by President Obama in 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act, once known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, transfers the education policy authority from federal to state. Additionally, critics of the bipartisan effort believe it may pose a liability to the past decade of education reform.
Sharing in the national discussion are other notable panelists, including William Bennett, former secretary of education under President Ronald Reagan; Arne Duncan, former secretary of education under President Barack Obama; and Roberto Rodríguez, deputy assistant to the president for education, White House Domestic Policy Council.
Condoleezza Rice, the nation’s 66th secretary of state, will act as moderator.
Together, the panelists will explore the education act’s historical context; the law’s major themes; and how state policymakers can harness it to maintain accountability and affect bold and innovative policies that support the academic success of all young people.