Duncan to be next Secretary of Education

by desertjim

The decision has been made. The next Secretary of Education will be Chicago Public Schools CEO Arne Duncan. After seven years at the helm of the third largest school district in the nation, Duncan will follow his basketball buddy to Washington DC.

In tapping Duncan, the President-elect said, “When it comes to school reform, Arne is the most hands-on of hands-on practitioners. When faced with tough decisions, Arne doesn’t blink.” President-elect Obama went on to say, “[Duncan] is not beholden to any one ideology, and he’s worked tirelessly to improve teacher quality. In just seven years he boosted elementary test scores here in Chicago from 38 percent of students meeting the standards to 67 percent. The dropout rate has gone down every year he’s been in charge.”

Mayor Daley selected Duncan to head the Chicago Schools in 2001. Prior to assuming the CEO position, Duncan was deputy chief of staff to former Chicago schools chief Paul Vallas. Since his appointment, he has gained a reputation as a reformer willing to take on the teachers’ union and punish underperforming schools. His recent decisions to support a pilot program offering pay for good grades, consider public boarding schools, and create a gay-friendly high school have bolstered his image as being open to new ideas. (3)

Duncan’s selection as Secretary of Education leaves Chicago with the problem of finding someone as dedicated as Duncan is to the idea that education is a civil rights issue. I would be interested in hearing opinions about this appointment from members of TEN who are Chicago teachers. I am also curious as to who teachers would recommend as the new head of the Chicago public schools.

Labels:

I would be very interested to see what Chicago teachers think as well . . . both about the selection of Arne Duncan as the next Secretary of Education and about who his successor ought to be. 

I am not a Chicago teacher, but through my work have seen Barbara Eason-Watkins in action.  She was an excellent principal, is a superb educator, a champion of excellent teaching and has been a very progressive and active Chief Education Office under Duncan.  I would love to know what Chicago teachers think about her as a successor to her current boss.

And for any Arne Duncan fans out there who use Facebook, there is now a Fans of Arne Duncan group in Facebook.

We should probably as Arne who he’d have confidence in. It breaks my heart to see him go. He worked closely with Mike Koldyke to start up the Chicago Adademy and keep it funded and safe from “downtown”