Duncan on Obama: "Never Before Has Being Smart Been So Cool"

[Thrill]

Duncan: Smart Is Cooler Than Ever
By Sam Dillon

Arne Duncan, the Chicago schools chief, told the Senate on Tuesday that he would work for “real and meaningful change” in the nation’s schools if confirmed as education secretary, and he said he hoped president-elect Barack Obama’s own example as a model student could inspire millions of American children.

“Never before has being smart been so cool,” Mr. Duncan said.

But Mr. Duncan did little to resolve the curiosities of educators and policymakers about how he and Mr. Obama intend to bring about change in American education, which over the next year is likely to include an attempt to the rewrite the Bush-era No Child Left Behind law, the most important statement of federal policy on public schools.

“I have seen the law’s power and its limitations,” Mr. Duncan said, but he provided no examples of concrete changes he will seek. “I agree with the president-elect that we should neither bury NCLB nor praise it without reservation.”

In a confirmation hearing before the Senate educaiton committee, Mr. Duncan laid out a thoroughly pragmatic and non-ideological educational agenda, vowing to do “anything that works” to raise achievement in public schools.

The Obama Administration intends to expand early childhood programs, foster the opening of more charter schools, improve teacher training and recruitment, and increase access to college for low-income students, Mr. Duncan said.

Mr. Duncan, who is 44, walked a careful line among rival factions of the nation’s educational reform movement, neither fully endorsing nor rejecting those who want to squeeze teachers and administrators harder to raise student achievement, nor a rival faction that contends schools alone are not capable of closing achievement gaps between poor and affluent students without broader federal investments in school-based health clinics and other social programs.

The Senate appeared likely to give quick approval to Mr. Duncan nomination.

“I think you’re the best,” said Senator Lamar Alexander, one of several Republican senators who praised Mr. Duncan’s record as chief executive of the nation’s third largest school district. “I hope I still think that a year from now.”

Sen. Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, chaired the hearing in place of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the committee chairman.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/duncan-smart-is-cooler-than-ever/

[eleny]

1. Nice!

[Cha]

2. May Arne Duncan

be the best Sec of Education to come along in a long time..I know this one of Obama's issues that he thinks is uber important. Gee, I wonder why?

[napi21]

3. Smart is now COOL because all Americans have seen way too much

STUPID for the last 8 years!

That's akin to many people falling for the "I'll run government like a business" crap that Shrub used before the 2000. Like all the other businesses he tried, he screwed them up!

Even many Pubbies are sick of what's been going on and want the opposite of Shrub!

[Jennicut]

4. Geeks will inherit the earth or something like that

As as soon to be preschool teacher I hope he does a good job. Preschool is the new kindergarten or so I have been told. Lots of pressure on these kids today and still not many improvements in test scores and grades.

[Orsino]

5. I think he means "not for a long time."

Or has America's Cult of Ignorance affected Mr. Dillon, too?