Arne Duncan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arne Duncan
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Official portrait, 2009
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| 9th United States Secretary of Education | |
| In office January 21, 2009 – January 1, 2016 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy | Anthony W. Miller James H. Shelton III John King (acting) |
| Preceded by | Margaret Spellings |
| Succeeded by | John King Jr. |
| Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools | |
| In office June 26, 2001 – January 21, 2009 |
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| Appointed by | Richard M. Daley |
| Preceded by | Paul Vallas |
| Succeeded by | Ron Huberman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Arne Starkey Duncan
November 6, 1964 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Karen Leanne Duncan |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) |
| Signature | _transparent.png){kind=spacer} |
Arne Starkey Duncan (born November 6, 1964) is an American educator and former professional basketball player. He is best known for serving as the United States Secretary of Education from 2009 to 2015. Before that, he was the head of Chicago Public Schools from 2001 to 2008.
Arne Duncan grew up in Chicago. He later started a non-profit group called Create Real Economic Destiny (CRED). This group works to help reduce gun violence in his hometown.
During his time as Secretary of Education, he played a big part in creating Common Core. These are a set of learning standards for schools across the United States.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Arne Duncan grew up in Hyde Park, a neighborhood in Chicago. His father was a professor at the University of Chicago. His mother, Susan Duncan, runs the Sue Duncan Children's Center. This center is an after-school program that helps young people in the nearby Kenwood neighborhood.
Arne went to the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. Then, he attended Harvard College. He played on the basketball team there. In 1987, he graduated with a degree in sociology.
Basketball Career
While at Harvard, Arne Duncan was a co-captain of the basketball team. He was also named a top student-athlete. After college, he played professional basketball from 1988 to 1991. He mostly played in Australia for teams like the Eastside Spectres.
Arne Duncan also played in the NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game several times. This is a fun game where famous people play basketball during the NBA All-Star Weekend. In 2014, he scored 20 points and had 11 rebounds and 6 assists.
Career in Education
After his basketball career, Arne Duncan started working in education. In 1992, he became the director of the Ariel Education Initiative. This program helped mentor children at a struggling elementary school in Chicago. It also helped them as they continued their education.
When that school closed, Duncan helped reopen it as a charter school called Ariel Community Academy. In 1999, he became a deputy chief of staff for Chicago Public Schools.
Leading Chicago Public Schools
On June 26, 2001, the mayor of Chicago, Richard M. Daley, chose Arne Duncan to be the Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools. In this role, he was in charge of a plan called Renaissance 2010. This plan aimed to improve schools in the city.
People have different ideas about how successful Duncan was in this job. Some say that test scores improved during his time. Others were concerned about neighborhood schools closing and being replaced by charter schools.
U.S. Secretary of Education
President Barack Obama appointed Arne Duncan as the United States Secretary of Education. He started this important job on January 20, 2009.
One of his main projects was the "Race to the Top" competition. This program offered money to states that came up with good plans to improve their schools. These plans often included ideas like expanding charter schools and using student test scores to help judge teachers.
In 2011, Duncan said that many schools might be seen as "failing" under the rules of the No Child Left Behind law. He wanted to make sure schools were doing their best to help all students.
In 2014, two large teachers' unions, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers, asked Arne Duncan to resign. They felt he needed to do more to support teachers and improve schools.
On October 2, 2015, Arne Duncan announced he would step down from his role at the end of the year. John King Jr. took over as the new Secretary of Education.
After the Department of Education
After leaving his government role, Arne Duncan joined the Emerson Collective, an education group, in 2016.
In 2017, he became a senior fellow at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy.
In 2018, he wrote a book called How Schools Work. In his book, he shared his experiences and ideas about improving education in the United States. He talked about the reasons behind the Common Core standards.
In 2022, Arne Duncan thought about running for Mayor of Chicago. However, he later decided not to run for the position.
Personal Life
Arne Duncan met his wife, Karen Leanne Duncan, while playing basketball in Australia. She is from Tasmania. They have two children, Claire and Ryan.
Arne Duncan still enjoys playing basketball in Chicago.
There is even a non-alcoholic drink named after him! The "Arne Duncan" is a mix of half lemonade and half seltzer water. It's a fun twist on the popular "Arnold Palmer" drink.
Images for kids
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Arne Duncan's signature
See also
In Spanish: Arne Duncan para niños
