So You Want to Be Education Secretary . . .

President-elect Barack Obama with Arne Duncan, the nominee for secretary of education, who has been widely praised for his work as chief executive of the more-than-400,000-student Chicago school system, the nation's third-largest. (Pool Photo By Ralf-finn Hestoft)

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The Early Education Advocate

Take ownership from day one of the president-elect's commitments to enable every child to attend high-quality pre-kindergarten. . . . Mr. Duncan should ensure that our principal education law . . . includes pre-K, reflecting . . . the importance of the early learning years.

-- Libby Doggett, deputy director, Pew Center

on the States; executive director, Pre-K Now

The Chancellor

Work to ensure that the federal stimulus package includes funds that will raise the maximum Pell Grant to at least $5,500, thereby increasing affordable access to higher education. In addition, the package should provide funds to support the infrastructure at our nation's primary and secondary schools as well as colleges and universities, with a particular focus on research facilities.

Launch an initiative to simplify and streamline the federal financial aid process. The complex and confusing nature of the current process is a disincentive to many families.

-- William E. Kirwan, chancellor,

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