Written Record

In His Own Words &
In Their Words

Writings by Dr. Paige and the most significant coverage of his life and legacy.

Legacy Analysis

Dec 16, 2025

Houston Public Media

Rod Paige Made Indelible Marks on Education. The Reforms He Championed Remain Contested.

Houston Public Media’s deep-dive examined the full complexity of Paige’s legacy — the Houston Miracle, NCLB’s ambitions, and the critiques that followed. Arne Duncan called him “a larger-than-life figure” who “may have been a better man.”

Tribute

Jan 7, 2026

Center for Education Reform

Remembering Rod Paige

Education reformer Jeanne Allen’s personal tribute reflected on a man who was “unsatisfied with the status quo.” She wrote that Paige “devoted his life to ensuring that where a child is born does not determine whether that child can succeed.”

Funeral Coverage

Dec 18, 2025

Houston Public Media

Houston Leaders, Colleagues and Peers Remember Former Education Secretary Rod Paige

At Brentwood Baptist Church, Mayor Whitmire, Andrew Card, and Arne Duncan honored a man who “impacted every child in America.” Card declared: “Rod Paige helped a president do his job and helped him accomplish things that could not have been accomplished without Rod Paige.” The mayor declared December 18 “Rod Paige Day.”