Who Is The New Big Man On Campus? Arne Duncan

Various | Today | JessDuntno

[jessduntno]

Arne Duncan (born November 6, 1964) is an American education administrator and currently United States Secretary of Education. Duncan had previously served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools. He wants to bring change to America's schools, and he’s armed with $100 billion in stimulus money from his friend, President Barack Obama, more than twice the budget of any of his predecessors.

Although he is white, Duncan's spoken accent led at least one college basketball coach to assume that he was of African-American descent.

His senior thesis, for which he took a year's leave to do research in Kenwood, in inner-city Chicago, was entitled The values, aspirations and opportunities of the urban underclass.

His mother Susan Morton runs the Sue Duncan Children's Center, an after school program serving African-American youth on Chicago's South Side.

Duncan was raised in Hyde Park, Chicago, where his father Starkey Duncan was a psychology professor at the University of Chicago.

Sources; Wikipedia, Bloomberg,

[jessduntno]

Arne Duncan, United States Secretary of Education, freind of Obama, Chicago

Obama and Duncan stepped up their efforts on July 24, announcing plans to withhold $4.35 billion in grants from states that bar using student test scores to help set teacher pay.

Duncan also is pushing states to increase the number and quality of charter schools, and says he wants to go national with his most controversial Chicago initiative, “turnaround” programs for schools that consistently fail to meet minimal goals. In some cases, he replaced entire staffs.

‘Lying to Families’

He has visited 23 states fielding suggestions for changing No Child Left Behind, the signature education effort of the George W. Bush administration. Duncan says the law has led many states, including Illinois, to “dumb down” tests so schools will meet the program’s federal benchmarks.

States are “basically lying to children and families,” he said in the interview. He wants tougher, nationwide standards while giving states more flexibility in meeting them.

Duncan’s plans are triggering interest in his seven years as head of Chicago schools, the nation’s third-largest system. A report released in June by the Commercial Club of Chicago, a group of business and civic leaders, questioned the success claimed by him and Mayor Richard M. Daley.

While there has been “modest improvement” in elementary schools, the “performance of Chicago’s high schools is abysmal,” according to the report, partially titled “Still Left Behind.”

http://www.civiccommittee.org/Still%20Left%20Behind%20v2.pdf

[jessduntno]

http://www.civiccommittee.org/Still%20Left%20Behind%20v2.pdf

[jessduntno]

“There is a general perception that Chicago’s public schools have been gradually improving over time. However, recent dramatic gains in the reported number of CPS elementary students who meet standards on State assessments appear to be due to changes in the tests made by the Illinois State Board of Education, rather than real improvements in student learning.”

Assesment of Arne Duncan’s work in Chicago, June 2009

[aruanan]

“There is a general perception that Chicago’s public schools have been gradually improving over time. However, recent dramatic gains in the reported number of CPS elementary students who meet standards on State assessments appear to be due to changes in the tests made by the Illinois State Board of Education, rather than real improvements in student learning.”

That and endless practice tests by teachers preparing kids for the tests.

[jessduntno]

His mother taught poor black kids. His father was a psychologist that specialized in communications. The poor kid spoke ebonics and people who had conversed with him only by phone were shocked by his being white. Talk about a weak identity and a study in poor upbringing...and he has never taught in a classroom...ask any teacher what they think of admins who have no experience...this guy’s only qualification that I can see is that he is an FOB...a Friend Of Bammy...

[antceecee]

Or maybe he’s a FOO....just missing the L for LIB.

[livius]

What a bizarre looking guy.

Another MMM (Metrosexual Marxist Male).

[Focault's Pendulum]

I am Proud to say that today, I have turned my most liberal of friends into an anti Obama person.

Truth be known, he did it pretty much by himself in regards to the health care issue.....I just gave him a little push.

I am a happy person today!!!!

I am posting this on every thread I read today.....bear with me....it's a success!!!

[livius]

Actually, the No Child Left Behind standards were good, because they didn’t let “ebonics” and “bilingual” programs get away with producing kids who couldn’t do basic things in English. That was one of the reasons the left objected to them.

[aruanan]

This is Arnie, right? Under his “leadership” Chicago schools tanked.

[ExTxMarine]

I am sorry, but I am NOT a supporter of No Child Left Behind! I like the premise, but I don’t like the application. My child’s education should be decided locally, by the parents and people of my community.

Besides, let’s be honest, not every student is going to college! So, why are we attempting to lead every student to college? It is NOT going to happen, and if it does, then colleges will be just like high schools today - teaching to the lowest common denominator!! At which point, a college education will get you a job at McDonald’s!

Heck, I see it in many places already. You have to have a two year degree to operate a forklift at Miller Brewing! Really?!?! You need two years of college to operate a FORKLIFT!

If what they say is true about illegal immigrants (doin’ jobs Americans won’t do), then it is our own fault for trying to push students who should not be in college to get a college degree!!