69´«Ã½

Federal Explainer

Margaret Spellings, Eighth U.S. Education Secretary: Biography and Achievements

By Education Week Library Staff — August 18, 2017 2 min read
President George W. Bush, left, participates in the swearing-in ceremony for the Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, center, at the U.S. Dept. of Education on Jan. 31, 2005 in Washington. On the far right holding a bible is her husband Robert Spellings.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Biographical Information: Spellings was born in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Nov. 30, 1957, and then moved to Houston, Texas, with her family when she was in elementary school. She graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Spellings launched her political career in Texas, working as a lobbyist for the Texas Association of School Boards, and then as a senior adviser to Gov. George W. Bush. Prior to serving as the education secretary after Bush was elected to his second term as president, she was his White House adviser on domestic policy. After the end of the Bush administration, Spellings founded a consulting firm and served as the president of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. She became the president of the University of North Carolina in 2016.

Served Under: President George W. Bush

Dates of Tenure: 2005-2009

Fun Fact: Spellings was the first mother with school-age children to serve as the secretary of education.

Achievements in Office:

  • Spellings fought to protect and continue implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. She helped make the law more flexible by allowing states to participate in pilot programs, including one that allowed them to use student progress – instead of straight-up achievement – in rating schools.
  • She created the Commission on the Future of Higher Education, which was charged with creating a national strategy for postsecondary education.

Archives of Note:


President Bush’s decision to nominate Margaret Spellings, his chief domestic-policy adviser, as the new U.S. secretary of education signals a steady course on education policymaking from the administration, analysts say. (Nov. 23, 2004)


Education Week Staff Writer Michelle R. Davis sat down with Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on Jan. 9 in the secretary’s office at the U.S. Department of Education. (Jan. 17, 2006)

Spellings Seeks to Cast Her Glow Over NCLB
In her three years as U.S. secretary of education, Spellings has been the nation’s leading spokeswoman for the No Child Left Behind Act. (Jan. 7, 2008)


The secretary of education works on global education issues, but efforts to help schools comply with the No Child Left Behind Act will be her legacy. (Dec. 8, 2008)


Margaret Spellings, who served as U.S. secretary of education under President George W. Bush, has been hired as the president of the foundation named after her former boss. (Jun. 11, 2013)


As president, Spellings will oversee 17 campuses in the system that serves more than 220,000 students. She currently works as the head of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. (Oct. 23, 2015)

Commentary by Margaret Spellings:


The federal government should play a discrete and powerful role in education accountability, writes Margaret Spellings. (Jan. 9, 2012)

    Additional Resources
    Includes biographical information on Margaret Spellings
    A short biography focused on Spellings’ government service
    A brief biography from the Department of Education archives

    How to Cite This Article
    Education Week Library Staff. (2017, August 18). Margaret Spellings, Eighth U.S. Education Secretary: Biography and Achievements. Education Week. Retrieved Month Day, Year from /policy-politics/margaret-spellings-eighth-u-s-education-secretary-biography-and-acheivements/2017/08

    Events

    School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
    Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
    This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
    Sponsor
    School & District Management Webinar
    Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in 69´«Ã½
    Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
    Content provided by 
    School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
    What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

    EdWeek Top School Jobs

    Teacher Jobs
    Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
    Principal Jobs
    Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
    Administrator Jobs
    Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
    Support Staff Jobs
    Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

    Read Next

    Federal What a National School Choice Program Under President Trump Might Look Like
    School choice advocates—and detractors—see a second Trump term as the biggest opportunity in decades for choice at the federal level.
    8 min read
    President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's 69´«Ã½," event in the East Room of the White House, on July 7, 2020, in Washington.
    President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's 69´«Ã½," event in the East Room of the White House on July 7, 2020, in Washington. He returns to power with more momentum than ever behind policies that allow public dollars to pay for private school education.
    Alex Brandon/AP
    Federal Trump's Education Secretary Pick Is Linda McMahon, Former WWE CEO
    McMahon led the Small Business Administration in Trump's first term and is co-chair of the president-elect's transition team.
    6 min read
    Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon speaks during a news conference with President Donald Trump in Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Friday, March 29, 2019.
    Then-SBA Administrator Linda McMahon speaks during a news conference with President Donald Trump at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Friday, March 29, 2019. Trump has tapped McMahon to serve as education secretary in his second term.
    Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
    Federal What Could RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary Mean for School Vaccine Requirements?
    The vaccine skeptic in line to lead the mammoth federal agency could influence schools' vaccine rules, even though they're set by states.
    6 min read
    Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Walker, Mich.
    Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., speaks before President-elect Donald Trump at a campaign event on Sept. 27, 2024 in Walker, Mich. Trump has selected Kennedy to serve as secretary of health and human services in his second term.
    Carlos Osorio/AP
    Federal Can Trump Force 69´«Ã½ to Change Their Curricula?
    Trump's bid to take money from schools that teach "critical race theory" or pass policies for transgender kids raises legal complexities.
    9 min read
    Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks on crime and safety during a campaign event at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Howell, Mich.
    Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks on crime and safety during a campaign event at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Howell, Mich.
    Evan Vucci/AP