so you think his choice is indeed like sarah palin ? On Dec 24, 10:14 am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > Well. > > Obama picked one from one of the poorest peforming/most expensive > school systems in the country. > > He has had 7 years to show us his merit in Chicago. > > On Dec 24, 9:50 am, "mike [ happy holidays ] 532" > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Is Obama's Education Pick the Sarah Palin of the School > > System?http://www.alternet.org/story/115093/ > > Education advocates say Arne Duncan's qualifications are slim. SAN > > FRANCISCO -- When President-elect Barack Obama recently named Chicago > > Schools Superintendent Arne Duncan as his choice for secretary of > > education, the reaction was a chorus of praise in the national media > > for a man they hailed as a true reformer and passionate educator. The > > consensus was that Duncan was great at building consensus, tough on > > the teachers' union, and committed to the kids. And, incidentally, he > > was pretty good on the basketball court. > > > Among community, parent and youth organizers in Chicago, however, the > > response to Obama naming his good friend and sometime basketball > > partner as education secretary was not unanimously positive. > > > "I was on black talk radio last night and people who called in were > > almost heartsick about it. Their candidate making a pick like this is > > an enormous disappointment," said Julie Woestehoff , director of > > Parents United for Responsible Education. "People are concerned he > > doesn't have the educational background and that he's not even > > qualified for the position he's in. It's really a slap in face." > > > Duncan, 44, was just 36 when he was appointed to replace Paul Vallas, > > who left Chicago to head Philadelphia's public schools. He served as > > Valla's deputy but had no prior credentials as an educational > > administrator. Duncan's seven years as Chicago schools' chief earned > > mixed grades, advocates say. While most agree that Duncan was sincere > > about education reform, they also say he stumbled badly in enacting > > school reforms and in relations with the African-American and Latino > > communities most affected by his plans. Many also said he was > > hamstrung by Chicago's strong-mayor political system and unable to > > enact his own reforms. Several of those interviewed said they would > > not make negative criticism of Duncan on the record because of their > > concerns that it could hurt them and their organizations. "We all > > want > > to do business with him," said one Chicago organizer who asked to > > remain anonymous. > > > Duncan's record has been shaped by his avid support of charter > > schools > > and by Mayor Richard M. Daley's Renaissance 2010 initiative to close > > hundreds of schools and reopen them as new and improved after a year > > of building renovation and complete staff renewal. Duncan inherited > > the plan and has pursued it enthusiastically but without planning for > > the impacts or doing outreach to communities. > > > "They did that to a handful of schools," said Woestehoff. "Then we > > were able to stop that by quoting research that it's not good to move > > kids around, that it sets them back." > > > Woestefhoff noted that Dodge Academy, where Obama announced his > > choice > > of Arne Duncan, was one of the reformed schools that was closed for a > > year. "When it reopened, few of the original kids were there," she > > said. "It has 400 kids now. Only 12 of the original kids are there in > > its second year of turnout." > > > One of the biggest battles was in the predominantly black Kenwood > > Oakland neighborhood where Duncan in 2004 announced the closing of 20 > > of its 22 schools. "We were involved in quite a heated battle to keep > > our schools open," said Jay Travis, director of the Kenwood Oakland > > Community Organization. "We pushed for better engagement with the > > community on some of these issues. Our recent experiences with Arne > > have been more positive." > > > 12Next page- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
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