Overview
- Paige led the Education Department from 2001 to 2005 under President George W. Bush, becoming the first Black person to hold the post.
- He helped pass and implement the No Child Left Behind Act, which broadened federal testing and accountability requirements for public schools.
- As Houston ISD superintendent from 1994 to 2001, he advanced reforms credited with raising test scores that later drew scrutiny over testing opt-outs and dropout reporting.
- Statements from Bush, Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Houston ISD and civic leaders praised his leadership and lifelong focus on student achievement.
- His career spanned athletics and academia, including roles as Jackson State’s head football coach and interim president and as Texas Southern University’s education dean, and he continued writing on school reform in 2024.