Graduate
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan speaks at
Saint Michael's Commencement 2009
Arne Duncan, United States Secretary of Education, was the 2009 commencement speaker at Saint Michael's College on Thursday, May 14, in the Ross Sports Center. Secretary Duncan addressed the 516 graduating seniors earning bachelor's degrees and 50 graduate students present, earning master's degrees, and their families, together totaling some 3,000 people at the college's graduation ceremonies. Secretary Duncan was also awarded a Saint Michael's College honorary degree. U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, a graduate of the Saint Michael's College class of 1961, was instrumental in arranging for Secretary Duncan to speak at Leahy's alma mater.
About Secretary Duncan
Arne Duncan was confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Education on inauguration day Jan. 20, 2009, becoming the leader of President Barack Obama's historic agenda of support for America's education system. Secretary Duncan has seven years' experience as chief executive of the Chicago Public Schools, the nations' third-largest school district, where he has addressed such issues as how to raise teacher quality, how to transform weak schools, and when to shutter those that are irredeemably failing.
President Obama said, in announcing his choice of Arne Duncan for this position, "We need a new vision for a 21st century education system - one where we aren't just supporting existing schools, but spurring innovation; where parents take responsibility for their children's success; where we're recruiting, retaining, and rewarding an army of new teachers; where we hold our schools, teachers and government accountable for results; and where we expect all our children not only to graduate high school, but to graduate college and get a good paying job."
The President said further, "These are the goals to which Arne Duncan has devoted his life-from his days back in college, tutoring children here in Chicago; to his work at the helm of a non-profit remaking schools on the South Side; to his time working for the Chicago Public Schools, where he became Chief Executive Officer of this city's school system." President Obama credited Secretary Duncan with proven experience "changing our schools from the bottom up."
Secretary Duncan has been very active since his appointment:
Secretary Duncan already highlighted education portions of the FY 2010 budget that would dramatically expand student financial aid for college. He said the budget calls for a historic investment to make college more affordable, and said, "The new funding represents a significant expansion of our federal student aid programs providing more dollars to allow more students to attend more schools." Specifically, the proposal would provide an additional $17 billion for Pell Grants in FY 2009 and 2010. The current year funding is $16.2 billion with 6.1 million students participating.
"By ensuring that higher education is affordable and accessible for all our young people," Mr. Duncan said, "we will make certain that our nation is prepared to compete in an information-age economy."
Secretary Duncan has also laid out plans for reforming education which included using international benchmarks for measuring success, improving the teacher/administrator evaluation system, developing a compensation system to reward excellence in teaching, and being more aggressive in turning around low-performing schools. The secretary said he also hoped to change the school calendar, which was based on an agrarian model, "which no longer makes sense." He also outlined changes to No Child Left Behind that would lower the number of goals and strictly mandated solutions.
At his confirmation hearing before the Senate, Mr. Duncan said he would work for "real and meaningful change" in the nation's schools and said he hoped that Mr. Obama's example as a model student could inspire millions of American children. He added, "Never before has being smart been so cool."