Education Secretary Arne Duncan Exits. What Did He Teach Us?

The rhetorical booster of school choice has a history of opposing school choice.

The White House announced Friday that Arne Duncan, the Education Secretary and one of the few original members of President Obama's cabinet to remain, will be leaving his position in December.

Obama initially described Duncan's focus for education reform as follows: "Secretary Duncan will use only one test when deciding what ideas to support with your precious tax dollars. It's not whether an idea is liberal or conservative, but whether it works."

But Duncan's tenure proved much more friendly to unions and much less friendly to school choice than the "it works" standard would suggest—at least, if your concern is aimed at students and not at powerful, politically-connected organizations.

Take a look back with Reason TV at one of the original hit jobs perpetrated by the Obama administration under the guidance of Duncan, on the DC voucher system. And then bid Arne farewell.

Watch Barack Obama & the DC School Voucher System below. Originally published on May 4, 2009.

Comments

[Notorious UGCC]

"your precious tax dollars"

Obama said *that*?

[JWW]

You sure he didn't say "preeeessssciouuussss" tax dollars?

[Notorious UGCC]

Why don't you criticize Martin Luther King, too, you racist!

[Ted S.]

Here I stand. I can do no other.

[Notorious UGCC]

Not only didn't Martin Luther *King* not say that, Martin Luther might not have said it either.

[Notorious UGCC]

not only didn't Martin Luther King say that, etc.

[Ted S.]

You're just pissed that anybody had the temerity to stand up to the Pope. :-p

[Notorious UGCC]

In hindsight, Luther actually seems quite moderate, considering what some of the other Protestants ended up doing.

[Notorious UGCC]

At least one commentator - Harvard law professor Noah Feldman - feels grudgingly obliged to say some positive things about the Little Sisters of the Poor in order to contrast them with the alleged weaknesses of Davis' case:

"...in the decades after the American Revolution....New Englanders typically elected local Congregationalist clergy, and citizens were obligated to pay local taxes specifically in support of the chosen ministers. Dissenters were entitled to opt out of the taxes, provided they got certificates proving that they were in fact Baptist or Quakers.

"The dissenters believed that getting the certificates ? which could sometimes be difficult to obtain ? violated their religious liberty. The New England dissenters were only intermittently successful in convincing the majority to end the system of taxation or certification, but in retrospect their argument prefigures that of the Little Sisters, and it may well come up before the Supreme Court if it considers the issue."

This departs from the traditional prog talking points - that the nuns are being used as pawns by evil right-wing Obama-haters because of their irrational refusal to fill out a simple form.

[Pope Jimbo]

My only question is did he or did he not start a program to spend money on enlightened playground consultants?

Two Edina elementary schools, worried about the politics of the playground, are taking an unusual step to police it: They have hired a recess consultant.

Some parents have welcomed the arrival of the firm Playworks, which says recess can be more inclusive and beneficial to children if it's more structured and if phrases like, "Hey, you're out!" are replaced with "good job" or "nice try."

I know what my response would be if I lived in that district and they put a new operating levy on the next ballot.

The only bright spot is that it is in Edina and they are notorious pussies anyhow, so this won't really damage any real Minnesodans.

[Rhywun]

"What is your name anyway? What do you f-----g do around here?!"

[Rebel Scum]

Union shill is a union shill? **shocked face**

[Robert]

Oh, Arne Duncan. I was thinking Arne Sultan.

[Curtisls701]

And here I was, thinking Arne Saknussemm.

[sharonphillips]

I make up to $90 an hour working from my home. My story is that I quit working at Walmart to work online and with a little effort I easily bring in around $40h to $86h? Someone was good to me by sharing this link with me, so now i am hoping i could help someone else out there by sharing this link... Try it, you won't regret it!......

http://www.HomeJobs90.Com

[Swiss Servator]

I believe you need to send this to Mr. Duncan, not us here.