The Department of Education Under Secretary Arne Duncan
1. Introduction
The United States of America is a federal republic, and it means that it is a state which is governed by the elected representatives of the people. There are different political structures in every country, but they all have common features. The main purpose of every government is to provide the citizens with the necessary conditions for life, and to create such environment where everyone could feel safe.
The federal government of the USA consists of three branches: the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. The executive branch is headed by the President, who is elected by the citizens for a four-year term. The President appoints the members of the Cabinet, who are responsible for different areas of state policy. The most important departments are: the Department of State, which is responsible for foreign policy; the Department of Defense, which is responsible for national security; and the Department of Education, which is responsible for education.
2. The Department of Education in the Cabinet of Obama
2.1. Arne Duncan
The current Secretary of Education is Arne Duncan, who was appointed by Barack Obama in 2009. He was born in 1964 in Chicago, and he graduated from Harvard University in 1987. Before his appointment as the Secretary of Education, he worked as the CEO of Chicago Public Schools from 2001 to 2009.
Under his leadership, Chicago Public Schools made significant progress in early childhood education, teacher quality, and higher education. In 2007, he was named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World”. In 2009, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian award in the United States – for his work on education reform.
2. 2. Paul G. Vallas
Paul G. Vallas is an American educator and politician who served as the Superintendent of Chicago Public Schools from 1995 to 2001. He was born in 1953 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and he graduated from Yale University in 1975. After graduation, he worked as a teacher in Connecticut and Massachusetts before moving to Chicago in 1985 to work as an administrator in the city’s public schools.
In 1995, he was appointed by then-Mayor Richard M. Daley to serve as Superintendent of Chicago Public Schools – making him one of the youngest people to ever hold that position. Under his leadership, test scores and graduation rates increased significantly, and violence in schools decreased dramatically. In 2001, he resigned from his position to run for governor of Illinois – but he lost in the Democratic primary election.
2. 3 Early childhood education
One of Duncan’s priorities as Secretary of Education has been early childhood education. He has said that “investing in our youngest children is one of the smartest things we can do” Because cognitive development takes place rapidly during early childhood – from birth to age five – it is important to provide high-quality early childhood education programs during this time period.
High-quality early childhood education programs have been shown to improve school readiness and academic achievement later on in life. They also reduce crime rates and teenage pregnancy rates, and increase high school graduation rates and college enrollment rates.
2. 4 Teacher quality
Another priority for Duncan has been teacher quality – specifically, attracting more highly-qualified individuals to the teaching profession and improving the quality of teacher training programs. In 2010, he launched the “Teach For America” initiative, which recruits top college graduates to teach in high-need schools for two years.
He has also worked to improve the quality of teacher training programs by increasing the use of technology in classrooms and by providing incentives for teachers to complete advanced degrees. In 2012, he launched the “Race to the Top” initiative, which provides grants to states that are making progress on education reform.
2. 5 Higher education
Duncan has also made higher education a priority during his time as Secretary of Education. In 2010, he launched the “First in the World” initiative, which provides grants to colleges and universities that are innovating in order to increase access and success for low-income students. He has also worked to increase federal investment in need-based financial aid programs like Pell Grants.
In addition, Duncan has been a strong advocate for increasing access to higher education through the use of technology. He has said that “we need to find new ways to reach students where they are – whether that’s online or in their communities – and provide them with the skills they need to succeed in a 21st century economy.”
2. 6 Computers and the Internet
Duncan has also been a strong advocate for using technology to improve education. He has said that “computers and the Internet are transformative tools that can help us reimagine education from top to bottom.” He has worked to increase access to computers and high-speed Internet in schools and libraries, and he has launched initiatives like “Digital Promise” to support research on how technology can be used effectively in education.
3. Conclusion
The Department of Education is responsible for ensuring that all children in the United States have access to a quality education. Under the leadership of Secretary Arne Duncan, the department has made significant progress on early childhood education, teacher quality, and higher education. In addition, Duncan has been a strong advocate for using technology to improve education.