Newswise — President-elect Barack Obama's naming of Arne Duncan - chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools - as the nation's next Education Secretary appears to signify a shift towards more innovative methods to improve the nation's urban education districts, according to several education experts.
Guilbert Hentschke, a professor at the University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education, said Duncan has managed to make improvements to the education system in Chicago through progressive methods that balance tradition with innovation.
"What he's doing is working to improve the system with some important changes and that has to do with quality of teachers and nature of instruction and also fostering the creation of new schools," he said. "He's one of the few people who actually has been adept at both leading the existing system and pushing for major changes in that system."
Dominic Brewer, also a professor at the USC's Rossier School of Education, said there are two camps of education philosophy within the Democrat party and that the naming of Duncan signifies the influence of "the more progressive movement that's interested in charter schools, merit pay for teachers and other innovations."
Those kinds of "solutions," however, may not always have long-term impacts, according to Etta Ruth Hollins, a professor with USC's Rossier School of Education who provides an alternative viewpoint.
"My initial reaction is that we've been down this road before," she said. "Teachers have a lot of things that are forced upon them and they very often don't have the space or the support to be able to examine their practice. Systemic change in teaching practices is what's at the heart of raising academic achievement."
The University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education is at the forefront of research into innovative ways to improve urban education. Its professors bring a wealth of information and background to school reform, accountability and innovative methods such as the creation of charter schools. The following Rossier School of Education experts are available to comment on the significance of Duncan's nomination:
Dominic Brewer, professor at USC's Rossier School of Education.
Guilbert Hentschke, professor at USC's Rossier School of Education.
Etta Ruth Hollins, professor at USC's Rossier School of Education.
Alicia Dowd, assistant professor and co-director of the Rossier School's Center for Urban Education. Dowd's research focuses on political-economic issues of public college finance equity, efficiency and accountability, as well as factors that affect student access to higher education.
Priscilla Wohlstetter, professor with USC's Rossier School of Education and director of USC's Center on Educational Governance. Her area of expertise includes accountability, governance and innovations in education, and charter schools.
The USC Rossier School of Education (ross-EAR) is one of the world's premiere centers for the study of urban education, preparing teachers and educational leaders who are committed to strengthening urban education locally, nationally and globally. USC Rossier is leading the search for innovative solutions to the challenges in urban education, and creating mutually beneficial partnerships to rethink curriculum, develop sound policy and improve educational environments. (http://rossier.usc.edu)
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