The president has yet to name an assistant secretary for postsecondary education, though many say a frontrunner is Robert Shireman, a key member of the Obama education transition team. Shireman was the founder of the Institute for College Access and Success and currently advises Duncan. Elsewhere, two other recent appointments indicate the growing influence of Chicagoarea education experts in the new administration.
Duncan named Greg Darnieder, college and career preparation officer for Chicago Public Schools, as a special assistant for college access. As Chicago’s school superintendent, Duncan created a department of postsecondary education to help improve college- going rates. Darnieder carried out major policies of that initiative, including a program to place college coaches into high schools to encourage greater postsecondary enrollment.
Also coming from Chicago is Dr. John Easton, executive director of the Consortium on Chicago School Research, an ambitious effort to monitor and report data on Chicago schools. Easton was nominated as director of the Institute of Education Sciences, the Department of Education’s top research post.
This influx of additional Chicago experts — along with former city school superintendent Duncan — signals a strong commitment to data-based decision making and new ideas, says Dr. Tim Knowles, director of the Urban Education Institute, an education think tank at the University of Chicago.
“There will be an openness to trying new methods,” he tells Diverse. With the new economic stimulus bill, the federal government will be making a greater investment in local education. D
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