Partnership for Public Service statement on the confirmation of Linda McMahon as secretary of the Department of Education  

March 4, 2025

WASHINGTON – The nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service released the following statement from President and CEO Max Stier after Linda McMahon was confirmed by the Senate as secretary of the Department of Education.  

“The Department of Education is dedicated to promoting student achievement and fostering educational excellence. We are hopeful that Secretary McMahon will work to achieve those goals and seek the advice and counsel of the department’s experienced career employees in supporting and improving our nation’s education system.” 

The Partnership’s Department of Education agency performance dashboard provides insights about the department’s operations and workforce. Some key data points include:  

• 2023 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government score and rank: 68.8 out of 100, ranking 19 out of 26 midsize agencies   

• Effective Leadership Score: 74.7 out of 100, ranking 15 out of 23 midsize agencies    

• Number of Senate-confirmed positions: 16  

The Partnership also produces and maintains several resources to assess and analyze the health of the federal government, including a political appointments tracker with The Washington Post that follows the progress of roughly 800 of President Trump’s Senate-confirmed positions. The annual Best Places to Work in the Federal Government^® rankings measure employee engagement government-wide as well as at individual departments, agencies and subcomponents. Additionally, our Vision for a Better Government provides areas of focus for management reforms. 

During the past 24 years, the nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service has been dedicated to building a better government and a stronger democracy. We work across administrations to help transform the way government works by providing agencies with the data insights they need to succeed, developing effective leaders, inspiring the next generation to public service, facilitating smooth presidential transitions and recognizing exceptional federal employees.     

Visit ourpublicservice.org, follow us @PublicService and subscribe today to get the latest federal news, information on upcoming Partnership programs and events, and more.         

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