Arne Duncan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arne Duncan
Official portrait, 2009
9th United States Secretary of Education
In office January 21, 2009 – January 1, 2016
President	Barack Obama
Deputy	Anthony W. Miller James H. Shelton III John King (acting)
Preceded by	Margaret Spellings
Succeeded by	John King Jr.
2nd CEO of Chicago Public Schools
In office June 26, 2001 – January 21, 2009
Appointed by	Richard M. Daley
Preceded by	Paul Vallas
Succeeded by	Ron Huberman
Personal details
Born	Arne Starkey Duncan (1964-11-06) November 6, 1964 (age 60) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Karen Leanne Duncan
Children	2
Education	Harvard University (BA)
Signature

Arne Starkey Duncan (born November 6, 1964) is an American educator and a former professional basketball player. He served as the 9th United States Secretary of Education from 2009 to 2015. Before that, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools from 2001 to 2008.

Arne Duncan grew up in Chicago. He is also the founder of an organization called Create Real Economic Destiny (CRED). This non-profit group works to help reduce gun violence in communities.

During his time as Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan played a big part in creating Common Core. This was a set of learning standards for schools across the United States.

In March 2017, Arne Duncan became a senior fellow at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. He also joined the boards of Communities In Schools and Community X.

Early Life and Education

Arne Duncan grew up in Hyde Park, a neighborhood in Chicago. His father was a psychology professor at the University of Chicago. His mother, Susan, runs the Sue Duncan Children's Center. This center is an after-school program that helps young people.

Duncan went to the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. Later, he attended Harvard College. There, he played on the basketball team. He graduated in 1987 with a degree in sociology.

Basketball Career

Arne Duncan playing in the 2014 NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game

While at Harvard, Arne Duncan was a co-captain of the basketball team. He was also named an Academic All-American. This means he was excellent in both sports and academics.

From 1988 to 1991, Duncan played professional basketball. He mostly played in Australia. He was part of teams like the Eastside Spectres in Melbourne.

Duncan also played in the NBA All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game several times. He participated in the games in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2020. In the 2014 game, he scored 20 points, had 11 rebounds, and 6 assists.

In May 2014, Duncan was on the 2014 USA Basketball 3x3 Men's Championship Team. This team qualified to represent the United States in a world championship in Moscow, Russia.

Public Service Career

After his professional 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 challenging elementary school. It also supported them as they continued their education.

When that school closed in 1996, Duncan helped reopen it as a charter school. A charter school is a public school that operates independently. In 1999, he became a deputy chief of staff for Chicago Public Schools.

Leading Chicago Public Schools

On June 26, 2001, Mayor Richard M. Daley chose Arne Duncan to be the Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools. In this role, Duncan was in charge of a big plan called Renaissance 2010. This plan aimed to improve schools in Chicago.

People have different views on how successful Duncan was in this role. Some noted 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 U.S. Secretary of Education. The Senate confirmed his appointment on January 20, 2009.

One of Duncan's main projects as Secretary was the $4 billion Race to the Top competition. This program encouraged states to compete for federal money for education. States had to propose reforms, such as expanding charter schools. They also had to judge teachers partly on how well their students performed on standardized tests.

In March 2011, Duncan said that many schools might be considered "failing" under the No Child Left Behind law. This law set specific goals for schools.

In 2013, Arne Duncan made a comment about some opposition to the Common Core State Standards Initiative. He said it was "fascinating" that some of the opposition came from "white suburban moms." This comment caused some controversy.

In July 2014, the National Education Association, a large teachers' union, passed a resolution. They expressed "no confidence" in Duncan's leadership. Another union, the American Federation of Teachers, also called for his resignation if he did not improve.

On October 2, 2015, Duncan announced he would step down at the end of 2015. John King Jr. took over his role. The media noted that Duncan was known for being willing to tackle tough debates about the government's role in education.

After His Time in Government

In March 2016, Duncan joined the Emerson Collective. This group focuses on education. He became a managing partner there.

In March 2017, he was appointed a distinguished senior fellow at the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy.

In 2018, he wrote a book called How Schools Work: An Inside Account of Failure and Success From One of the Nation’s Longest-Serving Secretaries of Education. The book talks about his work on the Common Core standards. It also shares examples of students who were not ready for college.

In 2021, Duncan supported Deborah Kerr in her race for Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin. She had been his high school teacher.

In January 2022, Duncan considered running for Mayor of Chicago in the 2023 election. However, in March 2022, he decided not to run. In 2024, Duncan signed an open letter that disagreed with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's decision to remove CEO Pedro Martinez.

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.

As of October 2023, Arne still enjoys playing basketball in Chicago.

There is a popular non-alcoholic drink named after Arne Duncan. It is called the "Arne Duncan" and is made of half lemonade and half seltzer water. Its name is similar to the "Arnold Palmer" drink, which is half lemonade and half iced tea.

See also

In Spanish: Arne Duncan para niños