Arne Duncan: A Safe Choice

There couldn't be a better time to start writing on my blog after a week off from posting (sorry, I've been kind of busy). We now know who the next Secretary of Education is going to be: Chicago School Chief Arne Duncan.

And based on everything I have read about him so far, his choice seems to be about two things. First, he is a politically safe choice because he will most likely not upset either side of the current education reform debate. On the one hand, he is appealing to education "reformistas" because he is a big city school chancellor with a history of trying to reform schools, just like his old boss Paul Vallas (who is now in charge of New Orleans Public Schools) Also, his name isn't Linda Darling-Hammond.

On the other hand, he is at least partially appealing to the more traditional/teacher-friendly (for lack of a better term) side of the debate because he isn't as controversial as a Joel Klein or Michelle Rhee. In addition, Teacher Unions don't hate his guts. AFT head Randi Weingarten even says that Duncan "reaches out (to unions) to do things in a collaborative way."

The second thing his choice indicates is that, simply, Duncan is someone Obama can personally trust. He is from Hyde Park in Chicago, has worked with Obama over the years, and has even played basketball with him (in fact, Duncan apparently has a fairly nice basketball career). Just like other Presidents will pick people for their cabinets from back home (including our present Education Secretary), Obama has done the same thing.

I do have some concerns. While he is clearly a safe pick, is that all he is? Is the fact that he didn't pick either a Linda-Darling Hammond or a Michelle Rhee a sign that Obama wants to reach out to both sides of the education reform debate? Or is it just a sign that Obama wants a politically safe pick because education won't be that high of a priority? Plus, as good of a job as Duncan has done in Chicago, will that actually transfer over to a national level? Duncan was in charge of just one school district (even though it is a huge one), but will now be in charge of thousands of school districts in 50 states. Needles to say, it is harder to micromanage things.

Also, it would be nice to have an Education Secretary who has actually taught inside a class. Oh, well.

I personally would have preferred a Linda-Darling Hammond, but I am not opposed to Duncan as a choice. Maybe he is exactly what our education system needs. Let's give the guy a chance and see what he can do.

Picture comes from This Week in Education.

A Petition against Joel Klein

I found this petition via Educational Justice for Barack Obama. It is supposed to be signed by "teachers, educators, and future teachers." Perhaps I would sign it if I knew more about how Klein ran the schools in New York City. I know that Klein supports expanding charters schools, which may or may not be a good thing, so I am fairly indifferent on him. Perhaps he could do a better job at talking to teachers, but this seems a bit much:

"The NY City Department of Education under Joel Klein has been run like a ruthless dictatorship – with no input from parents or educators"

New School Superintendent in St. Louis

Recently, St. Louis Public Schools hired Kelvin Adams as their new superintendent. He originally worked as Chief of Staff at the Recovery School District in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Will he be the next Joel Klein or Michelle Rhee? That is definitely possible.

"Adams said he would not rule out St. Louis following the lead of New York City and New Orleans by perhaps integrating a charter school into a building where traditional public education is taking place."

Consider the status of New Orleans Public Schools as of June 2008:

"Three in every 10 D.C. public school students are in charters, a much larger percentage than in most cities. The New Orleans charter school penetration rate is much greater: 53 percent of the post-Katrina enrollment of 33,200 students, according to school officials. Before the hurricane, charters had about 2 percent of the city's 67,000 public students."

Is it possible that he will be considered a failure and be replaced? Absolutely, since St. Louis has had eight different superintendents since 2003.

Is it possible that he will make St. Louis schools succeed and thrive? The odds are against him, but let's hope so.

Picture is from PubDef.net

Who will be the next the next Secretary of Education?

The speculation has been going on even before election night, and continues to go on. Possible names I have found so far include NYC School Chancellor Joel Klein, DC School Chancellor Michelle Rhee, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, and even Colin Powell.

ABC and Politico has speculated three other potential names: University of Oklahoma President and former Senator David Boren, Former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean (R-NJ), and Rep. George Miller (D-CA).

My favorite suggestion so far has been . . . William Ayers. HA! That comes from conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly. She wrote that before the election, so I wonder whether or not she actually believes that or if she was trying to put more fear into the conservative base. Perhaps a little of both.