Obama Taps Arne Duncan, Head of Failing Chicago Schools As Secretary of Education

"Obama to pick Duncna, Salazar" from Politico reports that Barack Obama will appoint Arne Duncan, head of the failing Chicago school system, to be his Secretary of Education - and Ken Salazar to head the Department of the Interior. 

What are Duncan's big achievements?  He went to Harvard, plays basketball, and has a "reputation" as a reformer (is he from the Bill Ayers University of Chicago Department of Education philosophy of education?).

Obviously another gold plate resume with no discernible results.

The New York Times carries Obama's water as always with the Duncan pick with the hometown Chicago Tribune not quite so - but the hometown and other press has a different take:

"Chicago High School Test Scores Decline Again" October 5, 2008 - Chicago Tribune

"Schools must confront violence" September 2, 2008, Chicago Sun-Times

"High school violence; gang ties'

"In Chicago, Youth Violence Prompts Clampdown" from Washington Post

Duncan has been the head of the Chicago schools since 2001. He gained a reputation for confronting the problems of inner-city schools when he took over the Ariel Education Initiative in 1992, before joining the Chicago system in 1998. A Harvard graduate like Obama, Duncan was co-captain of the Crimson basketball team and even played professionally in Australia. He and Obama met about 15 years ago through Michelle Obama’s brother, Craig, and Duncan was among those who played basketball with Obama on Election Day.

Comments

[Larry]

He'd be better off with Mary Alice.

[G]

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[Merry War on Christmas!]

I'm sure that all those bastions of elitist, booklearnin' intellectualism look the same to you, but Bill Ayers is a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, not the University of Chicago. As I'm sure that you'll be throwing his name around for the next four (eight?) years, you might want to get that *one* fact straight.

[table runner linen]

I also heard the news. I was a little bit astonished too. Anyway, thanks for sharing.

[retro jordan 1]

Craig, and Duncan was among those who played basketball with Obama on Election Day.