Don’t Panic, Persevere!

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Dennis Martino
June 13, 2025

Project 2025 and the Role of Public Administrators

As public administrators, we must be concerned about the intentions of Project 2025. The ultra-conservative Heritage Foundation has been working on this plan of action for several years. There are rational arguments to be made in favor of smaller government. However, this is a reaction to the notion of the existence of a “deep state,” the alleged rule by non-elected administrators.

If Project 2025 comes to fruition, we can count on schools banning books and the proliferation of charter schools being able to siphon off public funds for private schools. Government Technology Magazine published an opinion that states, “From abolishing the U.S. Department of Education to cutting Title I funding and certifying teachers based on ideology, a controversial proposal from a conservative think tank would upend public education nationwide.”

We can count on top elected officials such as the president or governors to cut out entire programs that deal with the environment, health and the reproductive rights of women. The BBC reports that Project 2025 “proposes that the entire federal bureaucracy, including independent agencies such as the Department of Justice, be placed under direct presidential control – a controversial idea known as ‘unitary executive theory.’”

All these things would create a chaotic state of affairs. But let’s not panic. It is time to persevere.

• We must work hard.

• We must maintain the highest level of ethical standards.

• We must communicate with citizens about our accomplishments.

• We must show why we are the envy of the world.

We can do it if we tell our stories and communicate our progress with our missions. We must all be Caesar’s wife. The proverb is “It’s not enough for Caesar’s wife to be virtuous, she must be seen to be virtuous.” Citizens must know we are doing our jobs with duty and honor.

Let’s do our best. Let’s persevere.

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Author: Dennis Martino, MS, Ed.D, is the former director of the New Hampshire Bureau of Education and Training. He has taught organizational leadership and public administration courses at the graduate level at several colleges. Prior to his academic work, he worked in labor relations as a union advocate and contract negotiator. Martino is an NOHS educator and fellow, National CPM Consortium. He can be reached at [email protected]

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