Rod Paige, Chairman
During his tenure at the U.S. Department of Education from 2001 to 2005, Secretary Roderick R. Paige was a fierce and innovative champion of education reform who led the way in setting new standards of achievement for all students in our education system. He spearheaded the implementation of the historic No Child Left Behind Act, with its goal of reinvigorating America’s education system.
Dr. Paige has devoted his life to transforming the state of education by improving the way that children learn on all levels, a passion that has manifested itself most recently when he co-founded the bi-partisan Chartwell Education Group, LLC. This group is a consulting firm devoted to offering solutions to the 21st Century challenges faced by the public and private sector enterprises that focus on pre-K, K-12 and post-secondary education, both in the United States and throughout the world.
In addition to his work to improve the quality of education through his own organization, Dr. Paige also is an active member of several highly respected boards, including the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, News Corporation, The Broad Foundation and the National Council on Economic Education’s Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce.
Prior to his time at Chartwell, and after he left the administration in 2005, Dr. Paige served as a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. There he was able to explore a more global perspective of education. As he said: “Civilizations rise and fall depending upon the quality of education.”
His appointment by President George W. Bush as the seventh U.S. Secretary of Education, and the first school superintendent to serve in this position, was a signal honor for Dr. Paige, the son of a principal and a librarian in the public school system. Born in 1933 in segregated Monticello, Mississippi, Dr. Paige’s accomplishments speak of his commitment to education. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Jackson State University in his home state. He then earned both a Master’s and a Doctoral degree from Indiana University.
Dr. Paige began his career as a teacher and coach. He served for a decade as dean of the College of Education at Texas Southern University (TSU), working to ensure future educators receive the training and expertise necessary to succeed in the classroom. He also established the University’s Center for Excellence in Urban Education, a research facility that concentrates on issues related to instruction and management in urban school systems.
Elected to the Board of Education of the Houston Independent School District (HISD) in 1989, Dr. Paige was a trustee and an officer until 1994, when he became Superintendent of HISD, the nation’s seventh largest school district. Inside Houston Magazine named him as one of “Houston’s most powerful 25 people” for helping guide the city’s growth and prosperity. He was also honored as an outstanding educator by the Council of the Great City Schools (2000) and the National Association of Black School Educators (2001). His innovative practices also led Dr. Paige to being named the National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators in 2001.
“No nation, whatever the size of its armed forces or economy can sustain greatness unless it educates all, not just some, of its citizens. Students must be challenged by high standards, teachers must be armed with proper resources, parents must be empowered with information and choices.”
Dr. Paige's January 16, 2006 speech to Thomas M. Cooley Law School