On June 26, 2001, Mayor Richard M. Daley named Arne Duncan Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools. Mr. Duncan was previously Deputy Chief of Staff for the Chief Executive Officer.
Arne Duncan currently serves on the Boards of the Ariel Education Initiative, Bold Chicago, Chicago Cares, The Children’s Center, the Golden Apple Foundation, the Illinois Council against Handgun Violence, Jobs for America’s Graduates, Junior Achievement, the Dean’s Advisory Board of the Kellogg School of Management, the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ Foundation, Scholarship Chicago and the South Side YMCA. He also serves on the Visiting Committee for the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration. He was a fellow in the Leadership Greater Chicago’s class of 1995, and a member of the Aspen Institute’s Henry Crown Fellowship Program, Class of 2002. In May of 2003, he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Lake Forest College.
Arne Duncan graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1987, majoring in sociology. He was co-captain of Harvard’s basketball team and was named a first team Academic All-American. From 1987-1991, Mr. Duncan played professional basketball in Australia, where he also worked with children who were wards of the state.
Arne Duncan returned to Chicago in 1992 to direct the Ariel Education Initiative, which seeks to create outstanding educational opportunities for inner-city children on the City’s South Side. In 1998, he joined the Chicago Public Schools.
His commitment to serving for the city’s public schools, leadership, hard work, courage and energy to wade in those clashing priorities of many different constituencies, his determination and emphasis on the program, known as the “Chicago Renaissance Schools Initiative”, his top priorities at change such as “literacy, recruiting and retaining outstanding teachers, expanding after-school programs, and engaging parents and more…
For his dedication and service to education, and diversity, I am pleased to present tonight’s “Education Award” to Mr. Arne Duncan.
