A survey of federal education policy insiders says Ben Carson is the most likely choice for secretary of education if Donald Trump is elected president. Almost 30 percent of those surveyed predicted Trump would pick Carson.
The second most-likely options, a tie between two relative unknowns, were far behind with fewer than 4 percent of insiders predicting that they’d get the job: Tony Bennett (the former Florida Education Commissioner) and Andreas Schleicher (the director for education and skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).
Also receiving votes were New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and 2008 Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin. Even rock star Ted Nugent and reality TV star Omarosa Manigault are seen by some as possibilities.
If Hillary Clinton triumphs in the general election instead, the insider prediction for secretary of education is Linda Darling-Hammond. Darling-Hammond was an education advisor for President Obama’s 2008 transition team, and she is currently a faculty director at the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.
Almost 18 percent of insiders predict Darling-Hammond would be Clinton’s choice. Close behind, with 14 percent, was Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. After Weingarten came Chris Edley, co-founder of the Opportunity Institute and former dean of the University of California Berkeley School of Law, with 7 percent.
Other notable people mentioned as possibilities under Clinton include former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, current Secretary of Education John King, Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, President of the National Education Association Lily Eskelsen Garcia and Senate education committee ranking member Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
The survey, conducted by Whiteboard Advisors, polled various current and former White House and Department of Education leaders, current and former congressional staff, state education leaders and leaders of various major education think tanks and organizations.
The poll also found that 56 percent of insiders predict education will get even less media coverage over the next six months.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
