Tomorrow, at a school in the Chicago area, President-Elect Barack Obama will announce his choice to lead the Department of Education, and education insiders, citing the Obama transition team, say it's Arne Duncan, the CEO of schools there.
A senior transition official confirms that Obama plans to nominate Duncan.
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Duncan has run Chicago schools for seven years and has become friendly with Obama. A 6 foot 5 inch tall Harvard grad and former Australian professional basketball player, he's managed the political hat trick of winning praise from the education reform community, the unions, and is well-liked by parents, too.
He's worked in the trenches as No Child Left Behind became law, and has had some success in closing failed schools and improving student performance. Last week, outgoing Education Secretary Margaret Spellings met with Duncan and gave him her blessing.
Critics say he's a "corporate" type who favors metrics over actual knowledge about how children learn, but the American Federation of Teachers praises his management style. He's beloved by charter schools advocates.
Like Obama, Duncan favors merit pay for teachers and administrators, but he's been cautious about pushing the concept too far without input from teachers' unions.
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