1.   Alexander, a former education secretary, favors longer school days and a longer school year.

2.   It was the education secretary who insisted on a nationwide literacy and numeracy hour, not the chief inspector.

3.   Which is not to say that the education secretary should not be attacked.

4.   The education secretary poured cold water on the recommendations of a working party.

5.   Education secretary John Patten says the tables will help parents choose the best schools.

6.   Unlike previous education secretaries, he has built on recent changes and amassed a far wider range of powers before setting his plans in motion.

7.   And Austinite Sandy Kress, a Democrat and former Dallas school board member, remains a candidate for education secretary.

8.   And Lamar Alexander, the former education secretary and Tennessee governor, is being backed by political veteran Thomas Rath.

9.   Another on this list is William Bennett, the former education secretary, who is traveling with Dole this week.