WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation today released the following statement from its president, Dr. Kevin Roberts, applauding the appointment of Dr. Lindsey Burke, former director for the Center for Education Policy at Heritage, to the position of deputy chief of staff for policy and programs at the U.S. Department of Education:   

“This is a landmark victory for American education -- and for the millions of parents fighting to reclaim their God-given right to direct their children’s upbringing. Lindsey Burke has been the intellectual backbone of the school choice movement for more than a decade. 

 

“She’s one of the most respected, principled, and effective leaders in the conservative movement, and her appointment makes clear that President Trump is serious about restoring common sense, local control, and academic excellence rooted in truth.  

 

“The Left may control the teachers’ unions—but we have Lindsey Burke, and we have the parents of this nation. This is a win not just for our children, but for the future of our country.” 

In her 17 years at Heritage, Burke oversaw Heritage’s preschool, K-12, and higher education policy and research. Her scholarly work has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Social Science Quarterly and Educational Research and Evaluation. She has testified numerous times before Congress on a range of education issues.  

Jonathan Butcher, the Will Skillman senior research fellow and acting director of Heritage’s Center for Education Policy, added the following: 

“Lindsey is an exceptional leader with an outstanding record of research. She has proved her leadership abilities not only at Heritage but also on the Board of Visitors for George Mason University. She is principled, thorough, and dedicated to effective conservative policies. The U.S. Department of Education—along with students and families around the country—are fortunate to have her assume this role.” 

Under her leadership at Heritage, Burke’s education policy team successfully galvanized a national movement to embrace educational freedom and policies that empower students and families.  

When Burke's tenure at Heritage began, only a handful of small school choice programs in a few states were available to families. The Heritage education team, led by Burke, spent years researching policy, informing Americans, and advocating for educational freedom to become a foundational policy for conservatives across the country. Today, thanks in part to that work and efforts from Heritage Action for America—The Heritage Foundation’s sister organization focused on advocacy—more than half of America’s K-12 students now have access to school choice. 

Concerned parents and advocates can see where their state ranks on Heritage Education Freedom Report Card, a comprehensive ranking of access to choice in education across all 50 states.