Last Friday, the U.S. Department of Education announced that President Barack Obama intends to nominate Carmel Martin to be Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. So, in the spirit of "personnel is policy," what does this indicate about President Obama's dedication to reform? I don't know Carmel very well, so I'm going to have to rely on secondary sources. First, let's check her background. According to the press release:
In the mid-90s, Martin was an Associate in the Education Group with Hogan & Hartson L.L.P. After her tenure there counseling school districts, colleges and universities, Martin moved to the United States Department of Justice where she focused on enforcing key provisions of Civil Rights Act. She has served as Counsel to both Senator Tom Daschle and Senator Jeff Bingaman before becoming the Associate Director for Domestic Policy at the Center for American Progress in 2004. Martin's most recent work has been with Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions from 2005 until December 2008. As Chief Education Advisor, she has counseled the Senator on all education issues and also led negotiations on all education legislation.
There are a few clues here. As a former lawyer to the blob, it's unlikely that she's a true bomb-thrower, for better or worse. But Senator Bingaman is no slouch when it comes to accountability, so that's a good sign. So too is her affiliation with the Center for American Progress, which, for a Democratic group, has been very aggressive on school reform, and willing to tangle with the teachers unions. Finally, as a Kennedy staffer, she's likely in line with the liberal lion's views on education, which combines an acceptance for testing and accountability with a passion for more funding.
I also polled some friends and associates of Carmel's. Not surprisingly, they lauded her nomination and praised her as a champion of tough-minded accountability, differential pay for teachers, and equity. And the Democrats for Education Reform seems to agree, as the group suggested her for a top job (though not this top job) back in November.
One question mark is whether she's as enthusiastic about charter schools as President Obama and Secretary Duncan are. Nothing on her resume indicates much interest in the topic; by all accounts she appears to be a reformer more in the model of Education Trust, with its focus on testing, accountability, equity, teacher quality, and civil rights, but not a whole lot of love for charter schools and other forms of choice. On this point, a fair assessment is probably "let's wait and see."
So where does this land Carmel on the Reform-o-Meter? While she clearly deserves to be seen as a "reformer," particularly on accountability and teacher quality issues, her apparent lack of interest to date in charters and choice means she's at least a notch cooler to reform than her new boss Arne. He earned a rating of "Warm"; I think Carmel deserves a reading of "Luke Warm."
And how important is this nomination? I'd count it as a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10-or less than half as?? important as Arne Duncan's selection. She will have oversight over key functions--the Department's Budget Service especially--and will serve as a key senior advisor to the Secretary, but the job lacks the specific statutory authority of, say, the Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education. But don't lose heart, Carmel: in my view, the nomination of Peter Cunningham to be Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach doesn't even merit a reading on the Reform-o-Meter since it's not a policy job. So a 3 ain't bad!
Do you agree that Carmel Martin's nomination deserves a "Luke Warm" rating? Cast your vote below.
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