by Frank James
Arne Duncan's confirmation hearing to be the incoming Obama Administration's Education Secretary could have easily been confused for a lovefest. Or the peaceable kingdom with the lion laying down with the lamb.
Because the atmosphere was positively milk and honey, with Republicans heaping so much praise on the chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools they sounded like Democrats. Anyone accustomed to the acrimonial sessions of recent years on Capitol Hill probably was rubbing his or her eyes in disbelief.
Just a couple of examples:
Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican, told Duncan: "I've been involved in education in my entire public-service career and never had a more enjoyable conversation with anyone than I had with you when we met the other day. I want to commend you on what you've accomplished." Then explaining that he missed the early part of the hearing because, as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he was attending Sen. Hillary Clinton's Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing, he said: "If everything you said early before I got here is equal to what you said in my office you're going to be a great secretary of education."
Like Isakson, Sen. Richard Burr, a North Carolina Republican, was at another hearing before getting to Duncan's. He was attending the Senate Energy Committee's hearing for Steven Chu, the Nobel-prize winning physicist Obama named to be Energy secretary.
"Clearly in one morning I have the two smartest nominees the president has appointed in you and Dr. Chu and that makes it challenging," Burr said.
And so it went for Duncan, whose charm offensive included his photogenic family, his wife Karen and two young children, Claire, age 7, and Ryan, age 5 whose behavior was so exemplary that one senator expressed the hope that Duncan could bottle whatever he did right with his own children and give it to the millions of others in the nation's public schools.
Nearly all the senators, including Sen. Dick Durbin, Illinois's senior senator who introduced him to the panel, spoke with admiration of Duncan's impressive achievements in bringing measurable improvements to Chicago's long-suffering public schools.
Republicans liked Duncan's stance on accountability for teachers and administrators and his support for public-school choice and charter schools as well as for the idea of performance-based pay for teachers, an idea not exactly embraced by teachers' unions.
Proving his political aptitude, Duncan made sure from the start that his new boss got the credit. He opened his remarks by saying he expected one of the most important changes the new president and first lady might have on education was an intangible one. It was what he said Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a Maryland Democrat, called the "Barack or Obama effect."
"And what we have with the president-elect and his wife are two people who are living symbols who embody the value of education," Duncan said. "They were born and from humble backgrounds, humble beginnings, because they worked so hard, because they were so committed to becoming great people, what they did educationally was extraordinary.
"And children throughout our country today, whether it's inner city Chicago, rural Iowa or Wyoming (the Democrat chairing the committee and senior Republican on the committee were from those states, so Duncan was personalizing the message) looked at those two and say that 'They worked hard. I can do it too.' And what you see is children saying not just 'I want to be the president like the president-elect.' They're saying 'I want to smart like the president-elect.' So we have a time collectively as a country to capitalize on something that is simply extraordinary. Never before has being smart been so cool, or working hard been so cool."
Comments
Probable the best selection Obama has made over all.
Posted by: Inky | January 13, 2009 1:57 PM
There just setting Duncan up for the big fall when our nations children start flunking out at a 50% rate--like they do in the Chicago public schools.
Obama should have chosen a nun to fill that position...you'd see huge accomplishments in the future, but they're "non-union" workers.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | January 13, 2009 2:14 PM
There sure is a lot of grammatical and spelling errors in this article that's suppose to be about education.
Posted by: Jose O. | January 13, 2009 2:37 PM
Perhaps Paulo could use a better education. Grammar has evaded him.
Corrected:
They're just setting Duncan up for the big fall when our nation's children start flunking out at a 50% rate; like they do in the Chicago public schools.
Obama should have chosen a nun to fill that position. You'd see huge accomplishments in the future, and they're "non-union" workers.
Paulo
Posted by: Ron | January 13, 2009 2:57 PM
Paulo, that is actually sort of clever. It's nice to know you can post a comment without mentioning WJ Clinton's sex life. Keep it up.
Posted by: Flo | January 13, 2009 3:02 PM
Chicago's dropout rate is not because of the schools or Duncan or any other scapegoat the ignorant may dream up. No, you can point your fingers at just two causes: parents and the "students" themselves. Every student enters school with a 100 percent chance of success...if he or she studies hard, is not tardy or absent from class, and has a commitment to the unquestioned benefits of education. Too many in certain cultures lack any of those commitments.
Posted by: Dartagnan | January 13, 2009 3:06 PM
CEO Duncan track record is not very shining when it comes to special education for children with disabilities. Hopefully he can turn that around as our Education Secretary but past preformance indicates trouble for inclusive special education.
Tony P
Posted by: Tony Paulauski | January 13, 2009 3:43 PM
I have a number of friends who are CPS teachers and all rabid Obama followers. None of them were impressed by Obama's appointment of Arne Duncan, and from what I have read and know of the CPS this decision had me scratching my head as well. Now I am positively confused with the praises from the Republicans. Guess this is a wait and see situation...
Posted by: dan | January 13, 2009 3:51 PM
What about school vouchers Arne?
Why didn't BO kids attend the Chicago Public Schools?
Posted by: rcs | January 13, 2009 3:58 PM
Jose,
You are absolutely right. That posting needed much more proofreading. Thanks for bringing its deficiencies to my attention. I think I cleaned them all up.
Frank
Posted by: Frank James | January 13, 2009 4:06 PM
I guess it's the thought that counts-he sure hasn't improved anything here in Chicago. this appears to be a post that is reserved for folks who have poorly served urban school districts. couldn't someone be found that both plays basketball and has actually helped the poor/minority children stuck in failing schools?
Posted by: ed | January 13, 2009 4:09 PM
Jonathan Kozol should be the Secretary of Education. He has been in the trenches, so to speak. Arne Duncan has never been a teacher, and his performance as CEO of the Chicago Public is lackluster, at best. Another political choice by Obama...... Where are hope and change?
Posted by: Susanna,M.A.T., University of Chicago | January 13, 2009 4:11 PM
speaking of charters, check out this great video about Obama and Illinois charter schools: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdHBiBy96I8
Posted by: ILCharters | January 13, 2009 4:12 PM
Dartagnan, what cultures would that be? The culture that Obama and Michelle come from? Perhaps you should move from the television set and get out in the world. Then you would see and know that your statement is based in stupidity.
Posted by: Harm0nii | January 13, 2009 4:33 PM
I have a number of friends who are CPS teachers and all rabid Obama followers. None of them were impressed by Obama's appointment of Arne Duncan,
Posted by: dan | January 13, 2009 3:51 PM
Because Arne didn't cave into the union, that's why.
Posted by: rcs | January 13, 2009 4:47 PM
There sure is a lot of grammatical and spelling errors in this article that's suppose to be about education.
Posted by: Jose O. | January 13, 2009 2:37 PM
If there exists a Grammar Police, you're its Barney Fife, amigo.
Posted by: a blinkin | January 13, 2009 5:08 PM
Paulo-I really don't like you. I live in Chicago and my kids went to top Chicago public grade schools and high schools--and they are doing great. Not sure if Arne was the best choice by Obama, but it looks like it may be who gets appointed. There you again Paulo, commenting on issues again where you have no business, just like earlier today. Shame shame on Paulo. I'm thinking you are just a jealous suburbanite living in your little homogeneous environment.
Posted by: Megan | January 13, 2009 5:09 PM
Duncan's first order of business should be to dismantle the Dept. of Education. Education should be controlled and funded by the States and Municipalities, not the Federal government.
Posted by: Greg from Chicago | January 13, 2009 5:20 PM
Chicago Public Schools have had huge problems for decades.
One in Duncan's position is always at odds with the teacher's union.
Not surprising that some teachers in Chicago are not "fans".
Posted by: ornery | January 13, 2009 5:26 PM
Paulo-I really don't like you. I live in Chicago and my kids went to top Chicago public grade schools and high schools--and they are doing great. Not sure if Arne was the best choice by Obama, but it looks like it may be who gets appointed. There you again Paulo, commenting on issues again where you have no business, just like earlier today. Shame shame on Paulo. I'm thinking you are just a jealous suburbanite living in your little homogeneous environment.
Posted by: Megan | January 13, 2009 5:41 PM
Hi Megan,
To know me is to love me...give me another chance.
Paulo
Posted by: Paulo | January 13, 2009 10:30 PM
Ron-
Grammar may have evaded Paolo, but punctuation, at least partly, has evaded you. The semicolon you inserted in Paolo's first sentence is incorrrect. Instead of the dashes he used, a simple comma, after "50% rate", would have sufficed. A semicolon is used when two or more clauses gramatically complete and not joined by a conjunction form a single compound sentence (which can also be separated by a period). Since this was not a compound sentence, and since Paolo used "like" as his conjunction (he should have used "as") to separate his independent clause, a comma was all that was needed. Now, where were we? Oh yes, Arne Duncan. Another poor choice by BHO.
Posted by: Tom | January 17, 2009 9:35 PM