state jobs soon after Yecke had taken her positions. During her tenure as Minnesota's education commissioner in 2003, Yecke's husband was appointed as a deputy commissioner with the state's economic development agency by Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty during a hiring freeze. Again, in 2005, this time as the K-12 education chancellor in Florida, Yecke's husband was hired as the deputy secretary of professional regulations by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). This hiring later raised questions by politicians whether his qualifications did not significantly distinguish him from the rest of the qualified candidate pool available in Florida. However, the Florida Department of Education pointed out that "there was 'absolutely' no discussion of a job for her husband" and DBPR secretary Simone Marstiller said that "she was 'taken aback'" by the concerns, "calling his qualifications 'very impressive.'" Bibliography The War Against Excellence: The Rising Tide of Mediocrity in America's Middle Schools 296 pages. Praeger Publishers 2003. Mayhem in the Middle: How middle schools have failed America, and how to make them work 65 pages. Thomas B. Fordham Foundation 2005. References External links War Against Excellence.com Harding Article Announcing Yecke's Job 1955 births Living people University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education alumni State cabinet secretaries of Virginia State cabinet secretaries of Minnesota Intelligent design advocates American Christian creationists Women in Minnesota politics Women in Virginia politics American people of Slovenian descent 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century American politicians 20th-century American politicians