Maybe it’s a good thing that the President-elect hasn’t chosen his education secretary yet. While education buffs are chomping at the bit to be the first to have predicted the winner, and ready to read into the selection (in error) what will happen to education over the next decade, we’re thinking that the trouble in Chicago may not bode well for a leading contender, Arne Duncan.

We’ve not been the biggest cheerleader, even before the feds whisked away his Governor in the middle of the night. Duncan is praised for upsetting the status quo but in reality, he’s been a reformer-lite.  Don’t get me wrong. I’ll take a little over none any day. But Duncan’s Renaissance 2010 was carefully scripted to close down only the very, very worst schools (not all the bad ones) and to replace them with only a handful of  new  providers, who have  to contend  with many of the  same rules that  have  long interfered with  well-intentioned  efforts in  urban school  systems.  Chicago’s charter environment – 30 strong  - is stuck there, thanks to a legislative environment that has capped its growth. We can’t find much evidence that Duncan has been roaming Springfield’s halls trying to lift that since he arrived. He thinks he has enough authority to do what it takes. We disagree. The proof is in the figgy pudding – Chicago school kids are thankfully no longer in the worst school district in the nation (1987, Former Ed Secretary William J. Bennett) but they are still pretty near rock bottom. 

More “Not So Fast”

Obama’s Education Policy Working Group was announced at the start of a long Thanksgiving weekend, rounding out his team of education advisers for the transition. To reformers it might have seemed like a corporation releasing financial records after the closing bell on a Friday. The working group’s main focus will be to “develop the priority policy proposals and plans from the Obama Campaign for action during the Obama-Biden Administration.”

During one of three press conferences introducing his proposed economic team last week, the President-elect spoke to the importance of a diversity of opinion and background in determining policy, saying in effect that change will come to Washington only when Beltway groupthink is taken out of the equation. (Dare we hope that equal importance is placed on the announcement of the next Secretary of Education?)

A policy team of whom two thirds have D.C. government postings on their resume doesn’t count as groupthink? Obama made charter schools and other reform-based models the centerpiece of many of his education speeches during the campaign. If the Policy Working Group is to develop the ideas put forth on the trail, does a team of university researchers and union officials without a shred of support for real reform bode well for our children in the coming administration?

Some never dreamed when he spoke of change that he was talking about changing the positive progress education reform has made for children in ways that could undo years of impactful innovations.

There are a few key people who reformers flocked to during the campaign for assurances that Obama would embrace reform. They were the people whose names kept popping up that campaigned vociferously in public and private for our President-elect. And friends voted their way because of them. They gave Obama political cover for real education reformers. Where are they in the transition? Lest we damn them by our own embrace, here are a few that everyone knows about. There are others who toil quietly, whose names will not pass these blog lips.

Honorable Kevin Chavous – Former D.C. City Councilman, attorney, author, modern day civil rights activist

Dr. Howard Fuller – Former Milwaukee Superintendent of Schools, founder of numerous education groups devoted to giving parents and students power, founder of Black Alliance for Education Options

Honorable Anthony Williams – Pennsylvania State Senator whose leadership has brought hope – through great, new public schools called charters - back to communities throughout Philadelphia, and more (though not enough yet) accountability to all schools.

There are scores more. We just thought we’d remind our newest officials that these are the types of people whose own education, activism, expertise and accomplishment - and knowledge of government - could add a lot internally and externally to their efforts.