Roderick R. Paige served as the United States’ Secretary of Education in the first George W. Bush administration, from 2001 to 2005. As the Nation’s top educator, he championed student achievement and employed “best of breed” solutions to raise national standards of educational excellence. As a member of the Presidential Cabinet, Paige spearheaded the implementation of the historic, No Child Left Behind Act, with the goal of reinvigorating America’s education system.

Following his time as Secretary of Education, Paige served as a Public Policy Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. In 2006, he authored, The War Against Hope, and in 2010, published, The Black-White Achievement Gap: Why Closing it is the Greatest Civil Rights Issue of Our Time.

From November 2016 to June 2017, Paige served as the interim President at his alma mater, Jackson State University.