Hunt mentioned as potential ed secretary

janestancill — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:08:10 -0500

Former Gov. Jim Hunt, who campaigned vigorously here for Barack Obama, is mentioned today by the Chronicle of Higher Education as a possible education secretary in Obama's cabinet.

That's nothing new for Hunt, who has been on these lists before, including yesterday in the online publication Inside Higher Ed. But this time around, the Democrat actually won, making Hunt a more plausible choice.

The question is, would he want it? In June, Hunt told Dome that he wasn't interested in a cabinet position in the Obama administration.

The four-term governor has the credentials for the job, though. The architect of the state's Smart Start early childhood program, Hunt has also been active in education since he left office.

He served on the federal Commission on the Future of Higher Education assembled by Margaret Spellings, Bush's education secretary. He is chairman of the board and a founder of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, a California-based think tank.

He also serves as board chairman of the James B. Hunt Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy, a UNC institute with a mission of improving K-12 education nationally.

newsobserver.com projects - Hunt mentioned as potential ed secretary - Comments

Hunt mentioned as potential ed secretary