Is This Trump's Pick For Secretary Of Education?

With Donald Trump preparing to make his move into the White House, one of the biggest remaining questions is who will become the leaders of his administration. The President-elect is set to appoint several key members of his Cabinet in the coming weeks, including the all-important role of Secretary of Education. With several candidates reportedly already in line for the job, here's a closer look at who could be Trump's Secretary of Education.

The United States Secretary of Education helps create and enforce education policy, from establishing federal financial aid to collecting data on America's school system. As the leader of the Department of Education, the Secretary also works to bring national attention to key educational issues. But that could change under the new administration. Trump has previously stated he wants to drastically minimize the role of the Department of Education, instead shifting responsibilities for academic-related research, development, and aid to state and local governments.

Regardless, a Secretary of Education must be appointed while the department's still around, and various reports are suggesting that there are two current frontrunners for the job. According to Politico and The New York Times, former neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson is among the top contenders to take over the position. Carson ran against Trump in the Republican primary, but later endorsed the presidential candidate and has long since been considered a likely pick for his Cabinet. Back in May, Education Insider, a monthly survey of congressional staff and other federal officials and insiders, also suggested that Carson was most likely to be Trump’s pick.

But he's not the only one in line for the post. Williamson M. Evers, a research fellow and education expert at the Hoover Institution, is also thought to be a possible choice to become the new Secretary of Education. Evers worked at the Department of Education during the Bush administration from 2007 to 2009 and is currently consulting on education matters for Trump's transition team.

It may be several weeks before Trump announces any formal decisions about the Secretary of Education position and other key roles within the Cabinet. In the meantime, an announcement about the President-elect's Chief of Staff is expected to be "imminent."