Honeymoon? What honeymoon? People have been burning up the web debating the choice of Rick Warren to give the invocation at the inauguration, but not make any policy. Meanwhile, not nearly as much as been said about Obama's choice for the crucial position of Secretary of Education.
Maybe that's because, like me, people don't know what to think of Arne Duncan.
On the one hand, investigative journalist (and Obama supporter) Greg Palast says Duncan is a piss-poor choice, one of those businessman-turned-education-administrators who thinks that you can raise test scores in poor, underserved schools by firing the teachers there as punishment. Not to mention believing that "raising test scores" as such is the top priority. Palast thinks Duncan won't give us any change from the No Child Left Behind disaster, and snipes that the Obamas didn't trust their kids to Duncan (who was recently head of the Chicago schools).
On the other hand, this Harvard magazine profile describes his support of a range of non-test-crazy stuff like after-school programs, literacy, opening school buildings to the community, and engaging parents. He's also a supporter of LGBT safe-school initiatives and early childhood education. Of course, alumni profiles are not known for being critical.
Anyone out there with kids in Chicago public schools, or who follows education reform more closely, want to weigh in on this one?
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