U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today issued the following statement:

Tom Luce has spent a lifetime putting kids first, and his service to the Department of Education has been no exception. A pioneer of standards-based education reform in his home state of Texas, Tom helped it take root in every state in the nation. As head of policy, Tom brought me solutions, not problems, from ensuring that schools met the needs of "Katrina kids" to helping states implement the No Child Left Behind Act. His sage counsel kept us on course to achieving the President's vision of a quality education for every child. Tom has a special passion for improving our nation's competitiveness through education, and speaks often of our need to work harder to keep up with the world. His own energy and good humor kept the Department running full steam ahead at a critical time in our nation's history. Although he is stepping down from his role as Assistant Secretary, Tom will continue to be one of my primary and trusted advisers on education policy.

As of September 1, Mr. Luce, 66, will reside in Dallas with his family and will assist Secretary Spellings in the search for the new Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.

###

Top

Back to July 2006