President-elect Obama has appointed Arne Duncan as Education Secretary in Washington. Arne Duncan seems to be liked by many people and has a background in Education as the Chief Executive of public schools in Chicago. Duncan definitely wants to improve public schools in the US including a revision of the No Child Left Behind program.
Arne Duncan’s legacy includes his belief in holding schools accountable for their educational successes or failures. He wants to put more of an emphasis on early-childhood education in order to give students a stronger start. Higher education is another concern for Duncan. Arne Duncan is found to equate education with civil rights in his quote: “[Education] is the civil rights issue of our generation and it is the one sure path to a more equal, fair and just society.” Duncan is taking up a more back-to-basics approach in his education plans for the future.
Arne Duncan has been chosen by President-elect Obama because of his “hands-on” way of handling educational issues. Obama wants to work with Duncan to improve the current education system and to gear students towards the right path to success.
Education is a crucial area in need of reform in the United States and it can only improve with leaders who value education. With jobs requiring more advanced individuals with degrees, it is becoming more and more apparent how much education is necessary in the 21st century. Competition is rising in the work force and people need to be coming out of schools prepared for real world experiences. Education needs to cater to these needs and one of the ways to accomplish this is to strengthen primary education. With Obama as the President and Arne Duncan as Education Secretary, the nation will be moving towards progress in the education system.