Arne Duncan for Secretary of Education? Bad call, Barry.

President-elect Barack Obama (D-Hyde Park) is expected to introduce Arne Duncan, CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), as his pick for Secretary of Education in a press conference tomorrow.

Duncan was appointed to his current post by Mayor Richard Daley in 2001. Duncan has proven to be eager to take credit for improvements in Chicago schools, but a look at his track record tells a different story.

During Duncan’s 7-year tenure at CPS, graduation rates have improved to slightly greater than 50%, but the improvement has been stagnant in recent years. Dropout rates have ticked down slightly but remain largely unchanged since 2005.

The percentage of high school juniors meeting or exceeding the standards of the Prarie State Achievement Test is unchanged. The composite ACT score for 11th grade students increased by nearly one point to 17.4. This score slightly higher than if the student filled out the test randomly, and well below the national average.

In elementary schools, scores on the ISAT tests improved dramatically in 2006. These "historic gains" came after the scoring system was made more forgiving, questions were simplified and students were given more time to complete the test.

Duncan has overseen Renaissance 2010, Chicago’s ambitious effort to open 100 new high-performing schools. The new Renaissance schools perform better than traditional Chicago schools in terms of graduation and dropout rates. However, as old elementary schools are replaced, most displaced students end up enrolling in another low-performing school.

Meanwhile, the achievements gap between minority students and whites has widened significantly. The gap is not limited to test scores, as graduation and dropout rates have also diverged.

Duncan proved to be inept in negotiating concessions from the teacher’s union. Teachers have been rewarded for minimal gains in student performance; the average salary for a Chicago teacher has risen by 40% during Duncan’s reign at CPS.

Duncan’s legacy as head of CPS is spotty at best, and Obama had tapped him to head the Department of Education.

Change We Can Believe In?

Bullocks.

::

Duncan is from Obama’s Hyde Park neighborhood. The two are close friends and play basketball together frequently.

"An excellent jump hook" is not a valid qualification for a Cabinet post. The pick reeks of cronyism.

The Chicago Way.

3 responses to 'Arne Duncan for Secretary of Education? Bad call, Barry.'

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1. Your rough wordings and shady style of reporting sets a bad example of Chicago and the people who live in our fair city. You should be ASHAMED!

   -Chris.

   P.S. I Like! ^_^

   Chris Majka

   12.16.08 05:05 PM

    

2. I agree with you to an extent. I’ve always been of the notion that test scores don’t truly represent a student’s true intelligence nor capabilities. I do think, however, that some changes should be made in regard to how we evaluate student learning and achievements…and maybe lengthening exam times or making the questions simpler aren’t the answers.

   Regardless, I don’t have an honest opinion either way about Arne Duncan, but I appreciate your viewpoint and the links! =)

   Charlotte M

   12.29.08 01:58 AM

    

3. p.s. again

   To give more context for MY view, I was always a very “smart” girl growing up; skipped a grade, received good marks and performed well in general. However, I did find that time and time again I would make a way to screw up my final exams or botch a test, even if I knew the material like the back of my hand. Some people just aren’t good test takers!

   Your post obviously goes beyond just talking about exam scores, but I just thought I’d share my insight.

   Charlotte M

   12.29.08 02:01 AM

    

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