INSIDE HIGHER ED. FEBRUARY 21, 2013. David Bergeron, the acting assistant secretary for postsecondary education at the U.S. Education Department, is resigning in March to take a position with another organization, sources said Wednesday. Bergeron, who has worked at the department for more than 30 years, has served as acting assistant secretary since Eduardo Ochoa left the post in May to become interim president of California State University at Monterey Bay.
The search for a political appointee to replace Ochoa permanently is said to be under way. Since last fall, observers have pointed to a lack of a coherent vision to drive policy making at the Education Department, in large part due to departures of key political appointees and policy staffers during the president’s first term. Those departures have continued as the second term begins, including Zakiya Smith, formerly of the White House Domestic Policy Council. With the departure of Bergeron slightly more than a year after that of Daniel Madzelan, another long-time senior staff member, the department has lost close to 60 years of higher education experience and knowledge.
