Former Aide to Jeb Bush Named to New Mexico Schools Post
This week I have a story describing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's hefty influence on education policy among state governors and lawmakers around the country, particularly like-minded conservatives. One state that's not mentioned in the article that could soon be touched by Bush's ideas is New Mexico, where one of his former aides, Hanna Skandera, has been picked as the state's next education secretary.
Skandera would go to work for New Mexico's Republican governor-elect, Susana Martinez. In Florida, Skandera focused on issues such as improving middle schools, creating incentives for high school performance, and ending "social promotions," generally defined as moving students from grade-to-grade without ensuring that they have the necessary academic skills.
During his two-terms as governor, Bush pioneered a number of bold and controversial policies, which included launching
