LISTEN: Trevor Mallard: Education portfolio 'not one that results in someone becoming popular'
She survived not least because improving Maori and Pacific student achievement was such a crucial goal of the Government it would have been unthinkable to sack its most senior Maori minister.
Parata would be the first to say she learned and improved from that revolt of schools and parents.
It meant she has always been better prepared in her subsequent reforms and mindful of the need to win support, not expect it.
She will be a loss to National. She has been a strong presence for women and for Maori in a party that has a deficit of both.
She will have no problem using her skills and energy in another field when she leaves.
While she said today she had "no intention of taking a diplomatic post", she is obliged to say that.
It will not stop her considering any offer later on next year.
Early in her public service career she worked for Foreign Affairs and she would be more than capable of taking on a senior posting.
She would also be well qualified for a role in an international education organisation such as the OECD which has a strong interest in education policy.
In terms of who will replace her, that depends largely on when Key wants her to step down.
He may allow her to stay next year to do more on the review of the decile system, or to bed in her reforms encouraging greater collaboration among schools.
He may keep her on for as long as it takes for Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye to recover from breast cancer and then give it to her.
But if he wants to shake it up in the reshuffle planned for the start of next year, Simon Bridges could be in the mix.
He has proven already as a former Workplace Relations Minister than he can handle unions.
And with only Transport and Energy and Resources, he is very much under-employed.
