Marshall (Mike) S. Smith Retires (Again) from ED
Mike Smith, one of the nation’s most respected education policymakers, was feted this week during a farewell gathering in Washington, D.C. The event brought together current and former colleagues who praised Smith’s many accomplishments as they wished him well in his third and perhaps final retirement.
At the May 24 reception at ED headquarters, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan called Smith a “legendary figure” with tremendous insight, commitment, integrity and humility, calling him “the mayor of the Department of Education.” Arne thanked Smith for his many contributions to the nation, referring to his “huge heart” and devotion to kids and education. Duncan also read a letter of thanks from President Obama.
Smith, until June 1 the Department of Education’s director of international affairs and a senior counselor to Secretary Duncan, has had a remarkable career that includes significant contributions to academia, policymaking, educational research and evaluation, and has authored and made contributions to seminal reports and studies on education. Smith’s areas of expertise include standards and assessments, educational research and evaluation, use of