President-Elect Barack Obama continues to round out his Cabinet by naming Arne Duncan as his new Secretary of Education. To hear Duncan discusses some of his achievements since being named CEO of Chicago Public Schools in 2001, click on the image below to be taken to a video courtesy of Edutopia.
By way of introduction for those not familiar with Duncan and his work, we’ve provided links to some of the leading stories breaking the news:
The Chicago Tribune credits Duncan with maintaining a “positive story line” in the seven years he’s headed the city’s troubled schools. In the article, Duncan also receives strong praise from former Chicago School Chief Paul Vallas, “He has the brains, courage, creativity and temperament for the job, and he's very close to the president[-elect], which is an important thing, too.”
The New York Times is similarly respectful of Duncan’s history of “taking tough steps to improve schools while maintaining respectful relations with teachers and their unions.” The article suggests that Duncan also represents a sign of hope for those discouraged by long-standing and divisive educational debates.
The Washington Post provides the requisite recap of Duncan’s personal and professional background and also conveys a favorable impression from outgoing Secretary Margaret Spellings, who calls him a “really good school leader.”