The Trump administration’s appointees for key Education Department roles reveal the agency’s K12 priorities even as the president works to close it down. The incoming officials’ backgrounds indicate career preparedness, competency-based education and school choice will dominate policy conversations.
Kirsten Baesler, assistant secretary, Elementary and Secondary Education
As North Dakota’s elected state superintendent, Baesler supported personalized competency-based learning through her “choice-ready accountability framework.” The initiative was designed to provide students with the skills to succeed in the workforce, college and the military.
Sarah Wilson, deputy assistant secretary, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
Wilson specialized in learning acceleration and high-dosage tutoring at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Wilson also oversaw the state’s college and career readiness initiatives.
She previously served as the director of research, service and policy at Morehead State University’s School of Public Affairs. She managed large-scale grants supporting K12 students in Appalachia.
Michael Brickman, senior advisor, U.S. Department of Education
Brickman worked on accreditation, distance and competency-based education, and employer-education partnerships in his previous stint at the Education Department. He also helped craft Executive Order 13932 to prioritize skills and competencies over college degree requirements in the federal hiring process.
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He returns to the second Trump administration from the Cicero Institute and the American Enterprise Institute, where he focused on federal education and workforce reforms. He also supported school choice initiatives as an advisor to former Wisconsin governor, Scott Walker.
Brandy Brown, deputy assistant secretary, Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs
Brown was a senior director at the America First Policy Institute, where she promoted the “America First agenda” in Congress.
Sarah Ursprung, principal deputy assistant secretary, Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs
Ursprung, a policy advisor in the first Trump administration, has experience in workforce development and grassroots engagement. She was director of government relations for Heritage Action for America, which oversees a national network of “Sentinels”—engaged citizens and local leaders who advocate for conservative policies.
