Trump Appointees to the US Department of Education Come With Wealth of Knowledge and Experience
Beth Akers and Michael Brickman
February 14, 2025
Earlier this week, the US Department of Education announced an initial set of nominations for individuals tapped to lead policy for the new administration. The list includes an exemplary set of professionals with extensive experience and expertise on the issues facing the new Secretary of Education. The list of nominees includes Nicholas Kent, Virginia’s former deputy secretary of education, for the position of undersecretary; Kimberly Richey, a teacher and attorney who most recently served as the senior chancellor of Florida’s Department of Education, to lead the Office of Civil Rights; and Mary Christina Riley, who most recently served as professional staff for the US House Committee on Education and the Workforce under then-Chairwoman Virginia Foxx, as the Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs. These three nominees join a phenomenal team that has been working tirelessly since the election to set Linda McMahon up to make transformative and lasting change.
Each of these individuals has a sterling record of serving the nation in various capacities, working to improve education for all Americans. But despite their bona fides, their nominations are all but guaranteed to be criticized by those who hold competing viewpoints about the best direction for education policy. Reasonable people can disagree about the values they hold and have worked to advance, but it would be unreasonable to question any of their commitment to making the nation’s system of education work better to promote prosperity among all Americans.
