Margaret Spellings

Margaret Spellings
Margaret Spellings
Born	Margaret M. Dudar; November 30, 1957 (age 68); Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Government official, university administrator
Years active	1970s–present
Known for	United States Secretary of Education (2005–2009), President of University of North Carolina System (2016–2019)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Margaret Spellings, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 2025

Margaret M. LaMontagne Spellings (born Dudar on November 30, 1957) is a prominent figure in American government and the non-profit sector, currently serving as president and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center. She held the position of the eighth United States secretary of education from 2005 until 2009. Following her tenure in public office, Spellings led the University of North Carolina System as president from 2016 to 2019, managing its seventeen campuses, and subsequently assumed the role of president and CEO at Texas 2036 from 2019 through 2023.

Throughout George W. Bush’s time as governor of Texas and subsequently as president, Spellings occupied several key positions. She played a central role in crafting the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, which aimed to reform elementary and secondary education. During Bush’s second presidential term, while serving as Secretary of Education, she initiated the Commission on the Future of Higher Education tasked with proposing reforms in post-secondary education.

Early life and education

Born Margaret M. Dudar on November 30, 1957, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she relocated to Houston, Texas during her third-grade year. She completed her high school education at Sharpstown High School in 1975.

Spellings obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Houston in 1979. Early in her career, she contributed to an education reform commission under Texas Governor Bill Clements and also held the position of associate executive director for the Texas Association of School Boards. Prior to joining George W. Bush’s presidential administration, she was political director for his 1994 gubernatorial campaign and served as a senior advisor during his governorship from 1995 to 2000.

Secretary of Education

Following the departure of Rod Paige as Secretary of Education, President George W. Bush nominated Spellings on November 17, 2004. The United States Senate confirmed her appointment on January 20, 2005, coinciding with the start of Bush’s second term. She was officially sworn in on January 31, becoming the second woman to hold this cabinet post.

Postcards from Buster controversy

On January 21, 2005, just one day after her Senate confirmation, Spellings issued a warning to PBS regarding an episode of Postcards from Buster that depicted children with lesbian parents. The episode featured the character Buster visiting Vermont to explore maple sugar production and interacting with children who described having a "mom and stepmom." In her letter to PBS CEO Pat Mitchell, Spellings reminded that the Department of Education partially funded the program and highlighted that many parents might find the lifestyles shown objectionable. Although PBS opted not to distribute this episode widely, Boston’s WGBH-TV broadcast it and encouraged other stations to follow suit.

This controversy later inspired writer Cusi Cram to develop a play entitled Dusty and the Big Bad World. Reflecting on this period in 2022 while discussing the show’s final season, Spellings noted that American society has become more accepting of diverse family narratives.

No Child Left Behind

During an April 2005 appearance on PBS's The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Spellings criticized Connecticut’s reluctance to fully implement the No Child Left Behind Act, describing it as embodying the "soft bigotry of low expectations." She expressed concern about Connecticut’s persistent achievement gap and condemned attempts to circumvent compliance instead of addressing student performance challenges.

Disputes Regarding Oversight of Student Loan Programs

On May 10, 2007, Spellings appeared before the United States House Committee on Education and Labor to address criticisms made by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who accused the Education Department of negligence in supervising student loan programs, which allegedly allowed corruption and conflicts of interest to flourish. Spellings dismissed the Inspector General’s suggestion to impose accountability on loan providers for improper conduct.

Journalists Altha Cravey and Robert Siegel from the News & Observer charged Spellings with endorsing for-profit educational institutions that take advantage of students and benefit financially from loan defaults. She held a position on the board of Apollo Group, the parent company of the for-profit University of Phoenix, receiving compensation exceeding $300,000.

Commission on the Future of Higher Education

In September 2005, Spellings initiated the Secretary of Education’s Commission on the Future of Higher Education, commonly referred to as the Spellings Commission. Its objective was to develop a national plan for reforming higher education, particularly assessing how effectively colleges prepared students for employment in the 21st century. The commission’s contentious proposals encouraged colleges to emphasize workforce development and research with practical commercial outcomes.

The commission also assessed the readiness of high school students for college-level work. Spellings presented this initiative as an extension of No Child Left Behind reforms, stating: "It's time we turn this elephant around and upside down and take a look at it."

Career After Government Service

Following her tenure as Secretary of Education, Spellings established Margaret Spellings & Company, an education consulting firm based in Washington, D.C.. She has also worked as a senior advisor to both the Boston Consulting Group and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Currently, Spellings co-leads the Future of Tech Commission alongside Jim Steyer from Common Sense Media, concentrating on issues related to technology and privacy policy.

University of North Carolina (UNC) Presidency

On October 23, 2015, Spellings was appointed president of the University of North Carolina system by its board of governors, with her tenure commencing on March 1, 2016. She took over from Thomas W. Ross, whose removal was marked by political controversy. Spellings became only the second woman to serve in this role. As president, she was responsible for overseeing seventeen constituent campuses, each managed by its own chancellor. Her initial annual salary was set at $775,000.

Controversy Surrounding Appointment

The process leading to Spellings’s selection as university president drew significant criticism due to its lack of transparency. During the Board of Governors meeting, several faculty members attempting to deliver a statement were removed by campus police, while more than 100 faculty protesters demonstrated loudly outside. Opponents argued that Spellings represented "everything that is troubling in the direction of public higher education." Faculty leaders expressed frustration over being excluded from meaningful participation in the search process. Outgoing President Ross described the climate Spellings was entering as "hostile." On her first day in office, March 1, 2016, students and faculty staged walkouts across six campuses, with demonstrators assembling at Wilson Library in Chapel Hill.

In response to the flawed search procedure, several Board members demanded Chairman John Fennebresque’s resignation; he stepped down on the next business day following Spellings’s appointment. Faculty across the system voiced strong disapproval of how the process was handled, emphasizing that Spellings would face challenges overcoming the mistrust it generated. This controversy followed closely after the abrupt dismissal of her predecessor—a move some claimed had political motivations—an allegation denied by Fennebresque.

LGBT Concerns and Reaction to House Bill 2

On October 23, 2015, Spellings attracted backlash after describing the LGBT community as a "lifestyle." Early the following year, students across UNC campuses protested against her, labeling her a "corporate educator" and criticizing her associations with conservative figures.

On April 7, 2016, Spellings directed the University of North Carolina system to adhere to North Carolina's contentious Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (HB2), which required transgender individuals to use restrooms aligned with their birth gender. The following day, she emphasized that following the law did not imply support for it. This legislation triggered extensive student demonstrations.

By May 4, the U.S. Department of Justice informed Spellings that upholding HB2 conflicted with Title IX provisions. Subsequently, on May 31, she altered her position to prevent the university system from risking federal funding cuts.

Confederate Statue Removal

On August 20, 2018, demonstrators dismantled the Silent Sam Confederate monument at the University of North Carolina. Spellings denounced the incident as "unacceptable, dangerous, and incomprehensible," underscoring the importance of respecting legal processes and condemning damage to public property.

Resignation

Spellings declared her intention to resign in October 2018, with her departure effective March 1, 2019.

Future of Tech Commission

In April 2021, Spellings co-established the Future of Tech Commission alongside Jim Steyer, founder of Common Sense Media, and former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Together as co-chairs, they seek to craft an inclusive technology policy framework for the Biden administration and Congress that addresses issues such as privacy, antitrust enforcement, digital inclusion, and platform responsibility.

In popular culture

Spellings competed on Celebrity Jeopardy! on November 21, 2006, becoming the first active Cabinet member contestant and finishing in second place with $11,100. She was also the sole current Bush administration official to appear on The Daily Show (May 22, 2007) and made an appearance on The Colbert Report (July 22, 2008). Additionally, she participated via telephone on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! in March 2008.

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