Darling-Hammond's Transition Role is Official
The Obama transition finally confirmed the obvious: Linda Darling-Hammond is their key point person on education.
In a press release just sent out, the Obama team announced that Darling-Hammond (who just three days ago told me she was "just an adviser") is the Policy Working Group Leader for education. View the complete list of working groups here.
Unlike some other working groups, which are being led by a duo or trio of people, Darling-Hammond will be flying solo. She's also among some pretty elite people, including former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle (who is leading the health care group) and some folks who served with President Bill Clinton. (UPDATE: Daschle is now said to be the nominee for health and human services secretary. Read into that what you will...)
The goal of these groups, according to the transition, is "to develop the priority policy proposals and plans from the Obama Campaign for action during the Obama-Biden Administration."
You can read more about what Darling-Hammond has said in the last few days about Obama and his education plans here and here.
Comments
The president-elect will make 16 appointments in Dept Ed that require Senate confirmation. I think if Darling-Hammond wants Sec., you could pencil her in.
I wonder about some of these other presidential appointments with Senate confirmation. Will he draw from his Chicago base, especially from those he worked with on the Chicago Annenberg Project, such as Patricia Graham, Adele Simmons, Anne Hallett, and Victoria Chou?
Posted by: Jason | November 19, 2008 2:42 PM