Eugene Hickok Resigns as Deputy Secretary of Education

On December 2, the Department of Education announced that Deputy Secretary of Education Eugene Hickok was resigning at the end of January 2005 as second in command at the agency. Hickok's announcement is the second major leadership change at the Department since the November elections; on November 17 President Bush tapped his domestic policy adviser, Margaret Spellings, to replace Rod Paige as Secretary of Education.

In his December 1 resignation letter, Hickok wrote to President Bush, "Your unswerving dedication to reforming education, made real through the No Child Left Behind Act, has given birth to a new era in education in this country."

"Today, the character of the conversation about education in our Nation has changed. We talk about accountability and results. We speak about options and choices. We confront the achievement gap instead of closing our eyes to it. We talk about making the promise of America real for all of America's children," he wrote. "I will be forever grateful that you asked me to contribute to this noble cause." Hickok did not mention any specific higher education initiatives in his letter.

According to a Department press release, prior to becoming deputy secretary of education in July 2003, Hickok served as undersecretary of education since the beginning of the Bush Administration. Before that time, he served as Pennsylvania's secretary of education in the administration of former Gov. Tom Ridge, and was a political science professor at Dickinson College.

In a statement on the resignation, Secretary Paige said Hickok, "had broad responsibility for implementation [of No Child Left Behind], helping shape guidance, regulations and other means for states, local education agencies and schools to get their respective jobs done."

"His policy acumen and knowledge of the Constitution have been tremendously helpful as No Child Left Behind went from an idea to legislative language to passage into law," Paige said.

By Elizabeth B. Guerard
NASFAA Assistant Director for Communications

Posted December 6, 2004 on www.NASFAA.org, the Web Site of the
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
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