2014

This is my summer hobby. It started last year and ran until semester began. This year it will restart around the middle of June, and run for another summer. It is always fun.

2013

On July 9th 2013 I will start reading the autobiographies of every past Education Secretary of State, in chronological order if possible. Progress will be tweeted via @EduSecs and I’ll blog excerpts, data, thoughts on here.

Why? Two reasons:

(1) I want to answer the question: Who was the greatest Education Secretary of all time, and why?, and

(2) Teachers complain that politicians do not understand their reality, but teachers must understand the reality of politicians if the two are ever to communicate productively. This website hopes to bring some of that understanding.

How will I work out the “greatest” thing?

I don’t know yet. I’ve compiled a list of ideas from Dean Simonton’s “Greatness: Who Makes History & Why” but I’m also open to ideas from other sources, especially commentors. The hope is that some kind of matrix can be developed by the end. After all, if teachers get observed against criteria, why not hold our Education Secretary to the same account?!

Where are you starting?

I’m starting with the first person to transfer from the position of President of the Board of Education into being a ‘Minister for Education’. That person is Rab Butler and his biography is “The Art Of The Possible” . He was not a Secretary of State, as that moniker didn’t change until the 60s, but I’m starting from there because the 1944 Education Act (and Butler’s work) is so foundational to everything that happened afterwards.

Who are you?

Best to go here for that answer.