Second Trump Administration – Department of Education

This profile contains Second Trump Administration nominations and appointments made at the U.S. Department of Education.

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At-A-Glance

Type: Other
Ideological Alignment: Right of Center
Issue Areas: Education Policy

Nominations and Appointments

Linda E. McMahon is the Secretary of Education. McMahon previously served as the Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019, as well as the chief executive officer of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). 1

Penny Schwinn was nominated for Deputy Secretary of Education but was not confirmed to the post. She was previously the Tennessee Commissioner of Education from February 2019 to June 2023, and deputy superintendent of the Texas Education Agency. She also founded a charter school in Sacramento, California and worked in the Delaware Department of Education. Before her nomination for the Department of Education, she founded an education consulting firm, New Horizon BluePrint Group, with a former colleague. Schwinn withdrew her nomination in July 2025 after controversies involving her past support for equity initiatives, her recommendations to supporters for comprehensive sex education on state health curricula, and her business ties. 1

Nicholas Kent is the Under Secretary of Education. He was confirmed in August 2025 by the U.S. Senate with a vote of 50 to 45. 2 Prior to joining the federal government, he was the Deputy Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Prior to that, he was chief policy officer at Career Education Colleges and Universities and founding president of the CECU Research Foundation. He also previously worked as Director of Policy, Planning, and Research at the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education. In February 2026, he assumed the duties of the Deputy Secretary of Education as well. 3

Jennifer Mascott was nominated for General Counsel of Education but was not confirmed to the post. Mascott’s nomination was withdrawn and instead she was nominated for United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, for which she was confirmed in October 2025. She previously worked in the White House Counsel’s Office in the second Trump administration and worked in the U.S. Department of Justice. She was a law professor at Catholic University of America where she founded the Separation of Powers Institute at the university’s law school. She was previously a clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh. 4

Kimberly Richey is the Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights. She was confirmed in October 2025 by the U.S. Senate as a part of an en bloc confirmation of Trump administration appointees by a vote of 51 to 47. 5 She was previously the Senior Chancellor at the Florida Department of Education. She served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights in the first Trump administration from 2020 to 2021. She also worked in the division in the administration of President George W. Bush. 6

Mary Riley is the Assistant Secretary of Education for Legislation and Congressional Affairs. She was confirmed in October 2025 by the U.S. Senate as a part of an en bloc confirmation of Trump administration appointees by a vote of 51 to 47. 5 Prior to joining the Department of Education, she was part of the professional staff for the House Committee on Education and Workforce and worked for numerous members of the U.S. Congress. She served as a Senior Advisor in the Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the Department of Education in the first Trump administration. 7

Kirsten Baesler is the Assistant Secretary of Education for Elementary and Secondary Education. She was confirmed in October 2025 by the U.S. Senate as a part of an en bloc confirmation of Trump administration appointees by a vote of 51 to 47. 5 She was previously North Dakota’s elected state superintendent of public instruction. 7

David R. Barker is the Assistant Secretary of Education for Postsecondary Education. He was confirmed in October 2025 by the U.S. Senate as a part of an en bloc confirmation of Trump administration appointees by a vote of 51 to 47. 5 He previously served on the Iowa Board of Regents. He also taught economics at both the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa. 7

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Second Trump Administration

This profile refers to the second presidential administration of Donald Trump that commenced in January 2025 following his second election to the presidency in November…

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References

1. Jacobson, Linda. “Penny Schwinn Drops out of the Running for Ed Department’s Deputy Role.” The 74 Million, July 31, 2025. https://www.the74million.org/article/penny-schwinn-drops-out-of-the-running-for-ed-departments-deputy-role/.
2. “Roll Call Vote 119th Congress – 1st Session.” U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 119th Congress – 1st Session, August 1, 2025. https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00484.htm.
3. “Nicholas Kent.” U.S. Department of Education. Accessed April 27, 2026. https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-organization/leadership-directory/nicholas-kent.
4. “Catholic Law’s Professor Jennifer Mascott Nominated to U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.” The Catholic University of America, July 17, 2025. https://www.law.edu/news-and-events/2025/07/2025-0717-Mascott-nomination.html.
5. “Roll Call Vote 119th Congress – 1st Session.” U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 119th Congress – 1st Session, December 18, 2025. https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00547.htm.
6. Alonso, Johanna. “Who Is Trump’s OCR Nominee, Kimberly Richey?” Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs, February 19, 2025. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/politics-elections/2025/02/19/who-trumps-ocr-nominee-kimberly-richey.
7. “U.S. Department of Education Celebrates Senate Confirmations for Additional Education Leadership.” U.S. Department of Education, November 13, 2025. https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-celebrates-senate-confirmations-additional-education-leadership.