Rod Paige, Architect of No Child Left Behind, Passes Away at 92

Rod Paige, the first Black U.S. Secretary of Education and architect of the No Child Left Behind policy, passed away at the age of 92. His family announced his death in a statement on December 10, 2025.

Paige served under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005 and was pivotal in implementing the No Child Left Behind Act, which established standardized testing and accountability measures aimed at improving educational outcomes across the United States.

This legislation was modeled after Paige's successful reforms as superintendent of the Houston Independent School District, often referred to as the 'Texas Miracle.' Former President Bush praised Paige as a leader who challenged what he termed the 'soft bigotry of low expectations.' While the law received bipartisan support when it was enacted on January 8, 2002, it faced criticism for fostering an environment of excessive standardized testing and 'teaching to the test.' In 2015, many of its provisions were rolled back under President Barack Obama, marking a significant shift in federal education policy.

Paige continued to advocate for education reform even into his 90s, urging for lessons learned from Houston's educational challenges. His legacy remains a topic of debate in ongoing discussions about educational policy in the U.S.