President George W Bush led the swearing in of new Education Secretary Mr Roderick Paige, saying the former Houston schools superintendent is the right man to lead his push for public school reforms.
"It is an honor to witness the swearing in of a man who will help us see important reforms for education become reality," Mr Bush said.
The ceremony came a day after Mr Bush submitted to Congress his plan to reform public schools as the first legislative priority of his presidency.
Provisions of the plan include annual testing of student performance, requiring states to develop performance-linked rewards and sanctions for schools, and implementing a voucher-style program to help students in failing schools move to private schools.
The political battle over the bill is likely to be focused on the voucher proposal.
Mr Paige, 67, headed the nation's seventh-largest school district from 1994 until his appointment. During his term as head of the predominantly poor and minority district, student academic achievement rose sharply and violence in the schools declined.
Mr Page, in his speech at the ceremony, endorsed President Bush's education plan, claiming he had "set forth a clear and detailed plan to make our public schools excellent, so that every child in this country can have access to a quality education".
Reuters