69ý

Federal Federal File

Portraits of Power: Spellings to Join a Historic Gallery

By Alyson Klein — December 01, 2008 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

It’s almost time for the Bush administration to start clearing out of Washington. But Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings has at least one item left on her to-do list: Attend the unveiling of her official portrait, which will hang at the Lyndon B. Johnson Department of Education building alongside paintings of all seven past education secretaries.

Secretary Spellings’ portrait is scheduled to be unveiled at a reception on Dec. 18. It will join the official painting of President Bush’s other education secretary, Rod Paige. In his portrait, Mr. Paige is wearing a suit and a tie with a crisscross pattern, posing before an American flag.

Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings will have her official portrait hang at the Lyndon B. Johnson Department of Education building alongside paintings of all seven past education secretaries.

Such portraits can cost taxpayers anywhere from $7,500 to more than $50,000, according to a story in The Washington Post in October. For instance, the Department of Defense commissioned a portrait of former Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that cost more than $46,000, the Post reported. The newspaper examined summaries of 30 portrait contracts and found that most were awarded without a competitive bidding process.

An Education Department spokeswoman did not respond to a request for information about how much Secretary Spellings’ portrait will cost or when it will be completed, although it’s safe to assume that it will be finished in time for the Dec. 18 unveiling.

When he took office in 1977, President Jimmy Carter called such portraits “unnecessary luxuries” and ordered his Cabinet members to be commemorated with official photographs instead.

But a recent visit to the Education Department showed that all the likenesses of the secretaries were painted portraits. That includes the portrait of Shirley M. Hufstedler, who served under President Carter as the nation’s first secretary of education, from 1979 to early 1981.

A version of this article appeared in the December 03, 2008 edition of Education Week

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 69ý
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 69ý," 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 69ý," 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 69ý 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