Education Nominee Appeals to Reformers, Unions

Duncan's challenge will be to help lawmakers and advocates reach agreement, said Michael J. Petrilli, who was associate assistant deputy secretary in the Education Department from 2001 to 2005 under President Bush and now works at the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, an education think tank.

"This confirms what we know, that President-elect Obama has reform instincts but he's also a diplomat and is careful to not alienate key constituencies in the Democratic Party and across the aisle," Petrilli said. "That's going to be a delicate balance to walk the line between the reform camp and the education establishment."

Many of Obama's plans for the nation's schools are rooted in efforts already underway in Chicago. Citing the success of charter schools in Chicago, Obama vowed to double federal funding for such schools to $400 million. The president-elect also wants to expand a teacher residency program in Chicago that prepares teachers to work in high-poverty schools.

In Chicago, some Duncan-backed initiatives have met with pushback from some teachers and parents. There has been some resistance, for instance, to the city's move to shutter some of its lowest-performing schools and reopen them with new staffs.

But he also has a reputation as an approachable, even humble, leader. In October, he choked up as he turned down an award given to him by an anti-gun group, saying too many Chicago students had been killed and he had "not earned it."

Debra Strauss, president-elect of the Illinois PTA, recalled meeting Duncan at his office to talk about an initiative to harness the work of community organizations to engage parents and provide better services and support for families. She said Duncan met her at the door, shook her hand and introduced himself as Arne.

"He's sort of a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-down-to-work kind of individual," Strauss said. "He brings a very down-to-earth perspective."

Tom Loveless, director of the Brown Center on Education Policy at the Brookings Institution, said the selection of Duncan shows Obama values the perspective of an on-the-ground educator. "The message is that he wanted someone who has the respect of the field," Loveless said. "These are modest reforms, nothing way out of the mainstream, but pragmatic and they seem to be working."

During the campaign, Obama often mentioned Chicago schools and praised Duncan's work.

"A while back, I was talking with my friend Arne Duncan, who runs the Chicago public schools," Obama said in a September speech. "He was explaining how he'd managed to increase the number of kids taking and passing AP courses in Chicago over the last few years. What he said was, our kids aren't smarter than they were three years ago; our expectations for them are just higher. Well, I think it's time we raised expectations for our kids all across this country, and that's what we'll do when I'm president of the United States."

Staff writer Amit R. Paley contributed to this report.