RODERICK PAIGE

U.S. Secretary of Education, Dr. Roderick R. Paige sat down with Black Issues senior writer Ronald Roach and Washington correspondent Charles Dervarics to discuss a wide-ranging set of issues related to the Bush administration's education pledge to "Leave No Child Behind." Paige was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the seventh Secretary of the Department of Education on Jan. 20, 2001, following the inauguration of President Bush.
Secretary Paige's appointment to the Bush Cabinet proved to be the most emblematic of the "compassionate conservatism" brand of politics practiced by President Bush. After a year on the job, Secretary Paige expressed confidence in the administration's ability to deliver on their pledge, which speaks directly to the issue of class and ethnic disparities in the educational performance of American children.

BI: What were your goals upon becoming secretary of education, and after a year in office, what do you think you have accomplished so far?

RP: My view is that education in our country is a key issue with respect to our economic well-being as a nation relative to our European, Asian and African neighbors. I think it is a security issue of the first order. I just hold education on a high pedestal as a determiner of national well-being. Also, the well-being of the various ethnic and racial groups in America. And it's even more important now than years ago because … where resources such as land, oil and cotton (were) the foundation of our economy, today ideas, imagination, solutions to problems have that same type of economic and social value. And the foundation of all that is education. I think it's inescapable. 
So my goal, one of my goals as secretary of education, is to assist in changing the culture of education so that it becomes more product-oriented instead of process-oriented, so that it actually works. A lot of good things have happened. A lot of kids are being successful. But I think it's pretty clear that a large number of people are not. And my specific interest is in being of assistance to those that are not. It is the department's biggest mission, and that is to provide equal access to a quality education for disadvantaged people.
What have I accomplished in the year that we have been here? The thing that I have accomplished has been the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) (which) has been reauthorized. I think it was reauthorized in a way that is quite different. It is going to change the culture of public education. Education is not ever going to be the same as a result of this bill. 
So this bill, I think, is kind of a lesson on what other things are going to be like. Now people have some interest in the fact that we started with this bill. The reason that we started with this is because of timing. It was time to reauthorize ESEA. The reauthorization of the Office of Education and Research Improvement (OERI), we're all gearing up for that now. I understand the process now. I know how it works; I have built a lot of relationships on the Hill and in various communities. I think that a lot has been accomplished. But one of the most important things that has been accomplished, we've put together a staff here now that I think is superb. We've got great people in this organization.