Looking over minutes of Connecticut Board of Education meetings from more than a decade ago, one could imagine it was a more tranquil time. But in recent years, education policy has seen sharp political divisions.
Former World Wrestling Entertainment executive Linda McMahon is poised to step back into that arena as the country’s next education secretary. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated McMahon, a Connecticut native, to lead the U.S. Department of Education.
McMahon’s critics have said she lacks sufficient experience for the role. But if McMahon’s nomination is confirmed, it wouldn’t be her first experience setting education policy.
McMahon is a longtime trustee of Sacred Heart University, and served for about one year on the Connecticut Board of Education between 2009 and 2010.
To learn about her involvement during that time, The Accountability Project reviewed meeting minutes, watched video recordings, sifted through congressional hearing materials and spoke with educators and lawmakers.
I described that reporting in a piece published this week about McMahon’s brief experience in education here in Connecticut as she prepares for a bigger role.
McMahon’s nomination to serve on the Board of Education was confirmed on a bipartisan vote, though we learned some lawmakers had serious doubts about her qualifications. Regardless, public disagreements among board members were few and far between after she joined. Members voted on routine measures, like reviewing school improvement plans. Most votes were unanimous.
McMahon eventually resigned from the Board of Education to run for U.S. Senate, but lost to Democrats Richard Blumenthal in 2010 and Chris Murphy in 2012.
McMahon later emerged as a key supporter of Trump, donating millions to get him elected, and leading the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term. She is now helping to steer his transition back into the White House.
Education policy could see sweeping changes under Trump’s administration. Trump has called for rolling back the federal government’s involvement in education, and shifting more responsibility to states.
Hamlet Hernandez, the director of Quinnipiac University’s educational leadership program, told me he believes McMahon is a poor pick to run the education department, which he said plays an important role setting policy and distributing federal funds.
But Ben Proto, chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party, said he believes McMahon will be part of a fundamental shift in education in the United States.
“Anybody who says the Department of Education is doing a good job in helping our students is ignoring history,” he said. “I think what you're going to see Linda do, in implementing the president's policies, is work to turn that around.”
