Friday, September 23, 2011

Arne Duncan: 'We've Been Very Complacent'

Arne Duncan: 'We've Been Very Complacent':

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Arne Duncan: 'We've Been Very Complacent'
Arne Duncan Interview

First Posted: 9/23/11 08:06 AM ET Updated: 9/23/11 08:06 AM ET



With President Barack Obama poised to announce alternatives to states' compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act on Friday, the role of U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan will be under scrutiny.

In August, Duncan and the president announced they would waive components of NCLB -- at least for states that agree to pursue reforms mandated by the administration. Duncan has since faced criticism for exceeding the bounds of his power. Less than a month later, he embarked on a bus tour in early September to discuss with education leaders both the waiver plan and the economic hardships many districts face.

After watching Obama's Sept. 8 jobs speech on TV on the road between Merillville, Ind., and Milwaukee, Wis., Duncan spent an hour with HuffPost Education, answering questions about everything from his tenure so far to standardized testing.

This interview has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

What did you think this job would be before you took it?

I didn't know. I had talked a fair bit to [George W. Bush Education] Secretary [Margaret] Spellings so I had some sense, but


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