Simone Biles and Team USA Don't Need a Gold Medal to be Champs

 "To know thyself is the beginning of all wisdom" - Socrates (or Aristotle...)

photo credit: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/28/simone-biles-diana-nyad-olympics-gymnastics-withdrawal/

Simone Biles. There may be many negative reactions to how things have played out for the US Women's Gymnastics team in Tokyo, but I have nothing but admiration for this strong young woman and her teammates. Simone recognized there was something way off with her focus and ability to orient herself in space. In gymnastics, as in most sports, that is a very dangerous condition. If she would have gotten seriously injured, the conversations would likely follow the theme of "she should've stopped", etc... Well, she did, and now many seem to be allowing their disappointment and frustration to lead their thinking. I have seen it as described as selfishness. But, is it? Thinking about executive functions and self-actualization, I cannot see that it was.

In sports, as in business, a mature and responsible person has to admit when they are not up to the job. The more of an expert you are, the more you understand all the nuances of every aspect of your job. In the press conference, Simone shared that during training she recognized that she had never felt that way physically going into a competition. She monitored her own condition and recognized that dangers of continuing with such unknowns. She knew that there was a definite possibility that she could compete and experience some serious issues which would undermine the confidence and potential of her teammates as well as the possibility of any medal for the US. She made a very difficult decision but a very mature one - similar to a director or CEO reallocating workload when needed to meet an important deadline.

She also handled it like a champ when all the cameras and microphones were on her. No crying, no whining, no drama. her amygdala was not leading the decision making. She appeared to really be applying problem solving and higher level decision making. She focused on her job and her team, and she carried that weight like a leader. Her team also focused on problem solving and working together. Those are strong life skills and needed for leadership. Jordan Chiles totally stepped up. Again, no drama, just focused on the business at hand - and she was enjoyable to watch!

Simone knew herself; that reflects a level of wisdom rather than selfishness. She recognized that she was not the best person for the job at that time and clearly checked with their medical team to confirm, etc... We should keep this in mind. She did not make this decision in isolation. She is not seeking attention; she was leading her team. Perhaps this does not illustrate weakness that will impede opportunities for future competitors; perhaps, it illustrates that athletics is about way more than just showing up and powering through anything. There is way more strategy than those of us who are not athletes may understand. Perhaps, we should recognize this woman's expertise and honor the accomplishments of her teammates. They won that Silver Medal and that accomplishment is admirable. #leadership #mentalhealth #strength #expertise

[**I have been thinking about this quite a bit over the past 36 hours, and wasn't sure how to put my thoughts into words. Developed this post related to participation in a thread on LinkedIn in a post from Daniel Pink with an article https://www.nytimes.com/.../simone-biles-just...]. Their articles are not always accessible to all, so I did some more looking for an article that related for sharing on social media: https://www.washingtonpost.com/.../simone-biles-diana...]

Focus our Energies on Staying Open

I am a word nerd. I know it; I own it. In fact, I think of myself as kind of an apprentice word nerd since I know that there are SO many people who are much more knowledgeable and passionate about words than I am - you know, linguists, grammarians, lexicographers, Noah Webster .... Sometimes, I just really love words themselves, the sounds of them, the meanings, the humor, the odd spellings, the predictable spellings... Sometimes I just really desire clarity, for example the words want , need, and should. The current climate in the United States, and all around the world, has caused me to think about these words even more than usual lately.

Returning to School

Of course we all want to be back in person for school. Professionals, parents, politicians, and even students seem to be able to agree that schools need to be back in session in person. There are definitely ways we can return in person. Then starts the slippery slope of trying to define the shoulds and should-nots. How should funding be determined and were will it come from? What should teachers plan for? What should teachers be responsible for? Who should make these decisions? Who should not?

Consider the concepts of time, human capacity, resources and equity. Is there really enough time for teachers to recharge this summer like they need to in order to really be there for our children in the fall? Is there enough time for them to take care of themselves? Can they really have enough strength and energy to care for themselves through all of the planning of physical space, emotional space, insecurities and anxieties as well as the impulsive choices children make AND plan quality lessons that can be done in-person, or remote, or a mixture of both? Should they have to do all of this? I find myself responding, "does that really matter?", but what I really mean is "that's not the conversation that needs to be had".

Focus our Energies

Whether they want to or not isn't where we need to focus our energies. Whether they should have to or not isn't where we need to focus our energies. Our energies need to be focused elsewhere because teachers WILL do all of this - and more - because they need to. This WILL happen because that's what teachers do. They will need to plan for new space and new procedures. They will need to plan in times for cleaning during their school day. Most will also need to completely change their instructional methods so they can limit the community, collaboration and movement that we know is needed for good learning. Teachers will need to plan for multiple versions of the work they plan to do with their students with less resources. Then they will need to determine if those plans are wants or needs because it will ultimately depend on what administrators and legislators determine they should be teaching after all is said and done. And, teachers will need to do all of this at the same time most other folks are arguing about politics and who is "really in control" of the schools and education system.

What we need to focus on is what do teachers need in order to make these things happen? What kinds of decisions need to be made and in which order? How can we help this happen? What do we need to know in order to make decisions? What can really be done by August?

Need to Work Together

Teachers are not asking to keep kids at home this fall, quite the opposite in fact, but, teachers need to be free to share their concerns about how we are supposed to prioritize this fall. Teachers need to be able to voice their concerns about the emotional and physical health of their students as well as themselves and their own families without the connotation that in doing so they are weak or not doing their job. Voicing concerns about how things will be for schools in the fall is not the same as saying they should not return; it is part of the work of making it possible. We all want kids in school this fall. Kids need us to work together to ensure they have a future worth learning for.

Teachers are anxious. Professionals and administrators are anxious. Legislators are anxious. Parents are anxious. Students are anxious. Basically, everyone is anxious and anxiety can cause humans to shutdown. While human beings do need to shutdown sometimes, we also need to be mindful to staying open: open to listening; open to having challenging discussions; open to helping our fellow human beings.

Provide Input for Michigan's Top 10 in 10 Plan

Right now, Michigan's Department of Education is asking for input related to their Top 10 in 10 plan.  To make your voice heard, you can respond to the survey found here.

Michigan's current plan was drafted in 2016 and has been guiding MI education since then. In September, 2019, State Superintendent Dr. Rice shared with the State Board of Education that our plan needed to be reviewed and updated.

“We’re asking the public to help shape Michigan’s education goals,” said Dr. Rice. “It is my expectation, and that of the State Board of Education, that an updated plan will be more streamlined and focused, and will have measures that align with the goals to help us monitor progress toward becoming a top education state.”

Preparing to Complete the Survey

Goals and Principles

Question number one asks for you to indicate the level of importance of a listed aspect related to whether or not it should be included as a goal in Michigan's updated plan or if it should be more of an overarching principle for the entire plan. There are 17 different aspects listed so it may help to think about the rating scale and aspects ahead of time.

The aspects listed relate to:

• improving math achievement
• increasing support for students with disabilities
• developing a coordinated and aligned education system
• meeting the needs of the whole child
• increasing the percentage of adults with a post-secondary (after high school) credential
• expanding learning opportunities for high school students
• increasing the percentage of students who graduate from high school
• providing universal preschool for eligible students
• increasing supports for students of color
• engaging with families and communities
• improving reading achievement
• providing adequate and equitable (fair) funding
• addressing the teacher shortage
• providing equity in education
• expanding early childhood learning
• providing quality instruction for all students

The first three choices to select from for level of importance are: Very Important; Somewhat Important; Not Important. These relate to whether or not that aspect should be a specific goal of the plan, meaning should they be direct tasks focused during the timeline for this plan.

The current goals in the Top 10 in 10 plan are: 

1. Provide every child access to an aligned, high-quality P-20 (preschool to college) system from early childhood to post-secondary attainment – through a multi-stakeholder collaboration with business and industry, labor, and higher education – to maximize lifetime learning and success.
2. Implement, with strong district and building leadership, high-quality instruction in every classroom through a highly coherent, child centered instructional model where students meet their self-determined academic and personal goals to their highest potential. 
3. Develop, support, and sustain a high-quality, prepared, and collaborative education workforce. 
4. Reduce the impact of high-risk factors, including poverty, and provide equitable resources to meet the needs of all students to ensure that they have access to quality educational opportunities.
5. Ensure that parents/guardians are engaged and supported partners in their child’s education. 
6.  Create a strong alignment and partnership with job providers, community colleges, and higher education to assure a prepared and quality future workforce, and informed and responsible citizens.
7. Further develop an innovative and cohesive state education agency that supports an aligned, coherent education system at all levels (state, ISD, district, and school).

The last two choices for level of importance are: Important, but not as a goal area in the updated plan; Not a goal area, but an overarching principle for the updated plan.

The current guiding principles in the Top 10 in 10 Plan are:

• Michigan must develop a coherent and cohesive strategy for the children, and implement that plan with continuity for multiple years. Education reform takes time; we must implement, use evidence and data to correct course, and continue with progress on key goals.
• A “Can-Do Culture” that focuses on student directed learning and student outcomes and the work on instruction must take priority.
• Data and accountability must be used to help drive resources and focus improvement activities for students and educators. Attention will be on transparency in support of key goals for the entire system to make Michigan a Top 10 state for education.
• Poverty matters, not to be used as an excuse, but as a purpose to design a Michigan system of education that motivates and excites all children about learning, keeps them in school, and provides them with hope and knowledge for a successful future. Michigan must design its supports and systems in a way that recognizes and appropriately addresses the needs of students in poverty.

Plans are reviewed every few years, so the goals change with each new plan some and just because something was not included as a goal in this plan doesn't mean it won't be in the next one. 

What are they missing?

Question 2 asks what goals you think should be included that are not listed above. There is space for you to enter up to five.

Order of Importance 

Question 3 asks you to select and rank your top five of the aspects from Questions 1 AND 2. Yes, you will now need to narrow things down to what you really feel are the big five that count for right now.

Wrapping it Up

Questions 4 and 5 ask how long you think the next plan should be in place before reviewed and updated again and how many goals you think make sense to focus on in the plan for that time period.

Questions 6-8 capture some data related to who has participated in the survey. This is valuable information to help determine if the entire state has been represented in the decision making and all types of individuals.

And, Question 9 is the "additional comments" section where you can add them if you so desire.
The survey is only 9 questions, but it may be a bit overwhelming when you open it at first. To prepare, here are a few things to know.

Be Heard Michigan

If you have previewed this information ahead of time, the survey should not take too long to complete. The survey has currently been open for three weeks and approximately 8,200 people have completed it. Oh wait, I just completed it, so there is at least 8,201 now. 

This is still only 0.1% of Michigan's adult population. 

Come on Michigan - we can do better than that for our 2 million children! Add your input. Be heard. 

The Opportunity from the College Admissions Scandal

(photo from npr)

Arrests Made in Nationwide College Admissions Scam: Alleged Exam Cheating & Athletic Recruitment Scheme

As a parent this makes me really angry. As a teacher I'm sure it infuriates you. 

My friends definitely know me! Ironically, the day before I received this text, I had administered the PSAT 9 with accommodations to a group of students. Ding goes the email: LDA Condemns Fraud in College Admissions Testing Accommodations (March 12, 2019). So glad to be part of an organization which could, and did, respond immediately. Thus began chatter and conversation about the recent college admissions scandal in my world. Chatter and conversations which ended up touching most of my "brains": parent; teacher; administrator; learning disabilities specialist; human being with integrity.

As I processed the actions being reported, I grew beyond infuriated. I became motivated and inspired. I realized it was an opportunity that we should not let pass by.

An Opportunity?

As I processed the emotions of outrage, frustration, anxiety and disgust, I settled on the thought that this situation also creates an opportunity. The concept of disabilities is not well understood so it is no wonder that testing accommodations are also not well understood. They are seen as some kind of "add on" and shrouded in some type of mystery or seen as an option that only the "lucky" qualify for. No, they are not. They are designed for specific situations. This scandal provides some opportunities to help people better understand this.

I have worked with students with disabilities who prepare for and take these types of high-stakes tests with accommodations for over a couple decades now. When I hear comments from others such as "well, who wouldn't do well with more time" or "they just want a higher score", I usually cringe, but sometimes I laugh. Really? Who in their right mind wants to sit to take a test any longer than needed? What teenager would prefer to take a big test in a different room that his or her peers? Not many! I tend to shrug off their comments and we all move on.

This scandal became an opportunity for me to reflect on these comments as well as my response to them. I shrug off the individual comments because I don't want to start an argument; I don't blame folks for not really knowing what they're talking about since it's such a specific and complex issue; I know that those individuals' comments or attitudes won't really change anything in the world of disabilities or accommodations so I figure I'll save my energies to argue when it "matters". This scandal made me take myself to task. It always matters.

Ethics and Accommodations

As a learning disabilities specialist and advocate, I am more angry with the consultant in these cases than with the parents. The parents were following advice from an "expert". Advice which was completely unethical. An expert who took advantage of a system that is not understood. He played on the fact that people do not understand disabilities or accommodations well. The fact that these are topics are not frequently talked about worked to his advantage. There is a stigma and mystique attached to learning disabilities that worked to his advantage. We should take this opportunity to speak up, to educate others, and to expand our conversations about equity and acceptance to include those with disabilities.

College board and other testing agencies require documentation that the disability is accommodated in the school setting. A student does not have to be eligible for special education (have an IEP) to qualify for accommodations on a standardized test, but they do need to have some verification that the same accommodations are used in the classroom, have been over time, and are utilized on other assessments, such as state assessments.  This raises significant questions about the documentation process at the schools the students attended for high school. We should take this opportunity to learn more about how we can do better.

Advocates, teachers and parents are often frustrated because testing accommodation requests are turned down and seen as hard to get. I disagree. Testing accommodations are not hard to "get"; they require the appropriate documentation. The fact that someone who needs these accommodations is not receiving appropriate documentation but some people who have paid for it did only highlights a huge issue within our documentation practices. We should use this opportunity to improve these practices to make it less hard for those who should have accommodations to access them.

Being a proctor of these tests with accommodations adds a whole other level of disgust and anxiety for me. To be the person administering the test in these situations requires a high level of integrity. It is necessary to complete specific training and sign specific agreements, etc... The proctors who accepted money to provide this environment and then even provided answers to the test could bring the integrity of every proctor of testing accommodations into question. We should use this opportunity to send a big thank you to those who are proctors and have not abused this position.

An evaluation for a learning disability or ADHD should always include multiple data sources. That is to ensure that the strengths and challenges are pervasive and not situational. An evaluation is also never the only source used to justify testing accommodations. For an advisor to tell someone to pretend to be slow for an evaluation is not only unethical, it is offensive. People with learning disabilities or ADHD are not slow. They are not stupid. Cognitive or achievement functions such as attention, processing, reading, writing and/or math require neurological interactions and inconsistencies are not a choice. Asking someone to fake those inconsistencies is similar to asking someone to hide one of their legs or limp a lot so they could qualify for a wheelchair or crutches. We should take this opportunity to change beliefs and conversations about the dis- part of disability.

Parenting

As a parent, I love my children unconditionally and with all my heart. I want to do everything I can to help them be successful but I also realize that they will be the ones with the responsibility for the actual "doing". A standardized test is not supposed to be a one-and-done experience. It is supposed to be a measure of what someone knows and what that person may need to know more about. It can be taken more than once. I love my kids too much to send them the message that they are not enough on their own. I took this scandal as an opportunity to tell my girls I love and respect them too much to ever pay someone to fake their success.

I have a child with learning disability and ADHD. I have a child who took the PSAT and SAT with accommodations. She is not stupid. She is not slow. She is not "broken" in any way. She has had opportunities. Some are certainly because my husband and I were able to afford them but I take this opportunity to say again that access to an appropriate evaluation and support services should not be a matter of privilege; it should be a right. I take this opportunity to give a shout out to her counselor and those at her high school who took the time and consideration needed to ensure the appropriate documentation of the reasonable accommodations she utilized in her classes. I also take this opportunity to give my daughter a big shout out for being a strong, intelligent young woman who has worked hard for all of her successes, including being accepted to Michigan State University (and okaying me to share these pieces of her specific story).

Parents invested a lot of money into ensuring their children were accepted into specific colleges. Not really a new practice and not necessarily a bad thing. Parents invest money in tutors, study aides, extra-curricular activities and other tools to help their children develop the skills or talents needed to stand out in some way for college admissions. Socio-economic status is a barrier for accessing many of these types of resources. This is one example of the disparity between the "haves" and the "have-nots" and many have taken this scandal as an opportunity to continue those discussions.

Parents were caught using this money to create documentation of needs or accomplishments that were false to get those children accepted at a specific college. That is not privilege or disparity; that is bad parenting. It is also criminal.

I suggest that we could all take this scandal as an opportunity to reflect on how we communicate our beliefs about success and disabilities to all children.

Concert to Benefit Lake Michigan Academy

I am excited to share an upcoming concert: 

Lake Michigan Academy's 2018 Scholarship Benefit Concert features the Midwest's Premier Funk/R&B Horn Band, The Hip Pocket along with special guest Kelly Carey, as they present "Funkytown: the Best of the 70s!", a celebration of the music of: Earth, Wind & Fire, The Commodores, KC and the Sunshine Band, Tower of Power, Chicago, and more! 

The purpose of this event is to raise money that will be used to provide scholarships to families who wish to send their children to Lake Michigan Academy (LMA) and Turning Pages. The goal is to provide financial support to families and remove any barriers to accessing the needed instruction.

Why I Care About this Event

Lake Michigan Academy is a private school which I know is a fairly hot topic right now.  I also know that LMA is nothing like a typical private school. LMA is not a parochial school, it is a non-public school for students with learning disabilities and/or ADHD in grades 1-12. Families do not choose to send their students to LMA because they are against public schools or they have any type of political or religious preference; they choose LMA because their children need more direct interaction than traditional classroom teachers and schools can provide. Traditional schools, particularly public schools, cannot operate with class sizes of 4-10 students, but LMA students need that type of environment to be successful. 

Special education and the supports that come through special education are not intended, nor funded, for all students with special needs. Many families are told that their child is doing "well enough" or that their child does not have "enough strengths" or "enough weaknesses" to qualify for support services. Not because teachers and administrators don't care, but because the educational system has to be selective to maximize it's impact with the dollars available. 

Parents and families have a commitment to providing the additional supports when they have a child who needs them, supports like therapies, tutoring, assistive technology, medications and/or finding resources to help them know what supports their child needs. Lake Michigan Academy families make that commitment. Lake Michigan Academy teachers and administrators make the commitment to be part of those solutions for families. [disclaimer: I am back at LMA this year as a consultant, so I suppose I am giving myself a little pat on the back here too!]

All students at LMA are learners with a learning disability in reading, math or writing and/or a learner with ADHD. (LMA is never boring and one of my favorite places to be!) Students come from 21 different school districts in West Michigan from 8 different counties.  Students (and their parents) travel an average of 2,606 miles per semester to attend Lake Michigan Academy and some students can spend up to 2-2/12 hours in the car each day to get to and from school. This is not your typical non-public school! 

LMA families commit to tuition, supplies and the costs of transportation. They often have other children as well, so they balance this commitment with those of other school buildings and districts. LMA has no access to federal or public dollars so all operating funds come from tuition and donations/fundraising. Even so, their staff and Board of Directors work each year to raise funds to provide scholarship to as many families as possible. 

Tuition at LMA is currently $11,000-$13,000 per year per child which is one reason I am so passionate about this event. Tuition is prohibitive to many families whose students would be more successful if they could attend; it also much lower than other schools with the same mission. LMA must have community support to keep tuition as low as possible without sacrificing the quality of staff and materials needed to provide the services and supports these learners need.

Our communities are better places when all individuals can access the supports they need. This concert will help make that happen in West Michigan. I hope to see you there!

To learn more about the event or purchase tickets, visit the LMA Event Site or follow the event on Facebook. 

Authorities of the U.S. Secretary of Education

Nominee for Secretary of Education to President Trump: Mrs. Betsy DeVos, a billionaire from Grand Rapids who is a 30 year veteran of philanthropy and advocacy in education. An extremely controversial nominee. Since Mrs. DeVos is a Michigan native and hails from Grand Rapids, the controversy seemed to hit much closer to home than I have ever experienced. Because of that “connection” I know I would have sat up and taken notice; I would have been more aware of and engaged in some of the conversations. Since it will impact the field of education, I would have taken notice anyway and would have broadened my conversations. Add to that the fact that the nominee is not an educator and it was like a trifecta for me: I had to know more!

"What cannot be understood cannot be managed intelligently".

I return to this quote from John Dewey. I enjoy reading educational commentary. I could not really understand how Mrs. DeVos was even on the short list. That did not make sense. It would have been quite easy to file it in the file of “She’s a billionaire who paid for the nomination”; or “The dude has no idea what he’s doing and is throwing all kinds of crazy names on his Cabinet list”; or even “He’s thinking outside the box and being innovative”. 

Because we are in a time of such significant change, I am working mindfully to be diligent in managing my words and actions intelligently. I am conscious of my position as an educational leader just as I am aware of being a strong woman, a mother and a role model to many young girls and boys/men in our community. In this vein, I am committed to putting my thoughts and understandings out in print. As I started doing so, I realized that I needed to start with the fundamental question of what the heck does the Secretary of Education really do? Was I even correct in my understanding of what the job actually entails? There was much chatter in my social media feeds generalizing how horrible a candidate she is; there was also much about what an innovative and great idea it was to nominate her. But why? I posted this question/challenge on Facebook:

Without a doubt, a current hot topic is the nominee for Secretary of Education. I am an inquiring mind. In the spirit of inquiry, not debate or rhetoric, I ask you to share what you believe the job duty/duties of the Secretary of Education are. Not what you think they should be or what you believe other people think they should be; not who you think would do well or not well; not critique what someone else thinks the job is; post what you believe the person in that position actually has the responsibility to do based on the current job description.

Additionally, I challenge you to not actually Google or look up the job description before posting!

What We Think the Secretary of Education Does

My Facebook account is intentionally a closed one. I choose carefully who I am connected to in the sense of I only connect with people I know or have known and/or are relations since I also share pictures and random pieces of our family life, etc... Still, I am connected to 699 people so I figured that was a fair number even though I know a little about Facebook algorithms and can pretty much guarantee myself that not all of those connections would have even seen my question. I had seven folks take me up on my question/challenge. So, in my teeny sample of my teeny world, the general understanding of the job of Secretary of State included:

• no idea
• no idea
• set standards for what students should learn before they graduate and ensure schools are achieving those standards
• oversee money distribution including federal monies to the states for elementary and high schools, pell grant distribution including setting standards universities must meet to receive federal money
• one personal pondering of whether or not a secretary of education is necessary - the federal office of education seems to mostly distribute block grants

I was not quite in the boat of “no idea” but I do not think I would have remembered or thought of all of these other points if I were to have typed a one or two sentence answer myself. Even with all of my experience, knowledge and background, I realized I did not understand enough to write intelligently on the topic.  I needed to do some research.  

A Job Description for the Secretary of Education

I no longer have a government textbook at my house and I didn’t really want to go to the library. For such a pivotal responsibility in our nation’s government, I was confident that I would be able to access adequate information using only internet resources so away to Google I went…

The tradition of the Cabinet dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself. Established in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, the Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office.

The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General. (from WhiteHouse.gov)

Not enough information. Next “stop”, Department of Education. The overview of Functions is:

The Secretary is responsible for the overall direction, supervision, and coordination of all activities of the Department and is the principal adviser to the President on Federal policies, programs and activities related to education in the United States. The Secretary serves as Chief Operating Officer for the Department under the President's Memorandum of July 11, 2001.

The Deputy Secretary focuses on the development and implementation of policies, programs, and activities relating to elementary and secondary education matters. This mission addresses a wide spectrum of interests ranging from safe and drug free schools, special education and rehabilitative services to education of linguistically and culturally diverse students, and promotion of educational interventions, and reforms.

The Under Secretary focuses on higher and adult education policy, postsecondary policy, college aid, and the President's financial aid reforms for the Pell Grant program.

In each of those three positions were sections detailing the Functions and Responsibilities of each which were fairly lengthy but, for the most part, covered well in the overviews. 

In Other Words

The Deputy Secretary does the work of developing and implementing all policies, programs and activities for K-12 schooling - under the direction of the Secretary of course. Interesting to me was the fact that the Deputy Secretary is responsible for all K-12 education including non-general education programs and services, oversees intergovernmental relations and oversees The Office of Innovation and Improvement, the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, and the Risk Management Service. All seem to be a function of the Education Department, though some pieces were quite new to me. 

Then there is also an Under Secretary who does the work of policies and activities related to higher education, adult education the reforms for Pell Grants and other forms of college aid - under the direction of the Secretary. Further descriptions included that the Under Secretary is responsible for the administration of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Programs, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities, the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, and the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. With the use of "White House Initiative" in most of these titles, I would infer that all of those programs would be dependent on the White House continuing them and/or replacing them with other initiatives. A general question this raises for me would be what portion of the budget these programs might entail. A specific question this raises for me is if these are White House initiatives and not ongoing programs or governed by Congress than what would this portion of the Department, and budget, look like under President Trump and his Secretary of Education? 

Based on the description of duties, the Secretary of Education (SOE) is the chief administrator. She would be the COO, coordinate everyone else in the Department of Education (DOE) and directly advise the President in all things education. Like all chief administrators, the SOE would be directing all things related to education but not necessarily doing the compilation work herself. An understanding of all aspects of education would be vital to being able to direct, supervise and coordinate all those working in the DOE. So, the next research question became, just what is the responsibility of the Department of Education? What does the Secretary of Education actually oversee? 

Department of Education

Again, straight to the source (Dept of Ed):

Education is primarily a State and local responsibility in the United States. It is States and communities, as well as public and private organizations of all kinds, that establish schools and colleges, develop curricula, and determine requirements for enrollment and graduation. The structure of education finance in America reflects this predominant State and local role. Of an estimated $1.15 trillion being spent nationwide on education at all levels for school year 2012-2013, a substantial majority will come from State, local, and private sources. This is especially true at the elementary and secondary level, where about 92 percent of the funds will come from non-Federal sources.

That means the Federal contribution to elementary and secondary education is about 8 percent, which includes funds not only from the Department of Education (ED) but also from other Federal agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services' Head Start program and the Department of Agriculture's School Lunch program.

Although ED's share of total education funding in the U.S. is relatively small, ED works hard to get a big bang for its taxpayer-provided bucks by targeting its funds where they can do the most good. This targeting reflects the historical development of the Federal role in education as a kind of "emergency response system," a means of filling gaps in State and local support for education when critical national needs arise.

[Yes, the dollar amount included is 2012-2013, but generally in Education documentation facts reflect a few years back. It's often not feasible to fully compile, analyze and edit a nation's worth of information much more quickly.] 

Additional information included:

The Department carries out its mission in two major ways. First, the Secretary and the Department play a leadership role in the ongoing national dialogue over how to improve the results of our education system for all students. This involves such activities as raising national and community awareness of the education challenges confronting the Nation, disseminating the latest discoveries on what works in teaching and learning, and helping communities work out solutions to difficult educational issues.

Second, the Department pursues its twin goals of access and excellence through the administration of programs that cover every area of education and range from preschool education through postdoctoral research. For more information on the Department's programs see the President's FY 2017 Budget Request for Education.

New to me was thinking about the role of Deputy Secretary or Under Secretary. As I dove back into the DOE site to see more about how those positions were selected, I discovered a section V of what I had been reading. It was not included on the initial page of information and when I had finished reading the page there was not a little prompt link for "next page" or "read more". Since I had had my initial question answered, I had not ensured I read all available sections. I will most certainly not be so slack the next time I research! The section I almost missed was Reservations of Authority:

In general, unless provided by law, the Secretary has reserved the following authorities:

• Authority to promulgate regulations.

• The authority to appoint members of advisory councils and fix compensation.

• The authority to submit reports to the Congress or the President.

In some instances, the Secretary has departed from these general principles. The Executive Office, Office of Management, can provide information regarding specific reservations.

An "Aha" moment! The Secretary is most certainly a bit more than a COO. 

1. The Secretary of Education would have the authority to promulgate, or proclaim a doctrine or put a law into action. NOTE: that does not mean create the law or doctrine; that is done by Congress. 
2. The Secretary of Education has the authority to appoint members of advisory councils and fix their compensations. So, she would have the authority to not only appoint people to advisory councils, but determine what the government will pay them. Mrs. DeVos is a business person rather than an educator. She is not part of the Education System and has a definite bias to not only non-traditional schooling but those which are faith-based. I recognize why this would be, and should be, a significant concern to critics of her appointment. 
3. Finally, the Secretary of Education has the authority to submit reports to Congress or the President. She should not only have the authority to do so but should be expected to do so regularly.  

In Summary

The Secretary of Education is a COO of the Department of Education, overseeing the personnel who develop, implement and promote interventions and reforms. She would be the head administrator and oversee the budgets and personnel. She would work to raise awareness of the education challenges confronting our Nation, disseminating latest discoveries on what works and work with helping communities work out solutions to "difficult educational issues". She would also have some governance of direct funds/compensation for advisory council appointees and, potentially, for White House Initiatives under the Under Secretary. 

It makes total sense that the SOE would have to have a certain level of foundational knowledge of both theory and practice in order to effectively oversee such personnel and drive such conversations. I can also see where the level of such knowledge could be open to quite a bit of interpretation. 

When I read the Reservations of Authority, I felt that "aha"; I also felt slightly stupid. How could I have missed that? No, I do not believe it was some conspiracy or intentional design of the site to keep people from seeing the important bits. I know I did not see it because I did not go one extra step. Being informed - fully informed - requires diligence. It is also easy to feel that we have found all there is to find or we have all the information we need to make a decision or form a full opinion. I would caution that it is just important to realize that just because we have an informed opinion does not mean that there is not more information available. 

We must continue to learn in order to remain educated. We must be educated to participate fully in our democracy and in our society. Just one more reason, this Cabinet posting is so important to people throughout our great country.