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Friday, December 19, 2008
Our new education secretary
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s been so much local news this week we haven’t had time to talk about Chicago schools leader Arne Duncan, President-elect Obama’s pick for U.S. secretary of education.
Duncan has a reputation for being a reformer and unconventional.
He has shut down low-performing schools in Chicago and expanded charter schools. He supports performance pay for teachers and single-sex education. He has backed the testing and accountability requirements of No Child Left Behind, but says more federal money must be spent on the mandates.
In September he started a program to pay students for good grades. The program at 20 schools lets students with straight As earn up to $4,000 a year - all paid with private donations.
Of course there have been some areas where Duncan has struggled - such as improving special education programs.
What do you expect from the new education secretary? What rules would you like to see eliminated and what programs should be created?
