The Washington Post’s Maria Glod reports that Arne Duncan, Obama’s pick for education secretary and the current head of Chicago public schools, has made the Chicago schools a "laboratory for reform." In his seven years as chief executive of Chicago schools, Duncan has introduced performance pay for teachers and administrators based on how well students do on standardized tests. But he’s also pushed for an array for a lesser-known reform efforts like giving cash to students for good grades and proposing the creation of gay-friendly schools.

Glod portrays Duncan as a thoughtful reformer and seasoned negotiator with reform advocates, administrators and teacher’s unions. So he sounds like a good choice for education secretary. But I’m not sure if the Dept. of Education is the right platform for experimentation and improvisation. Duncan’s biggest impact policy-wise will probably be his role in No Child Left Behind re-authorization. Otherwise his role will not be as creator of new education initiatives but giving money and favorable regulations for innovative school districts.  Duncan, in other words, has to manage the bureaucracy to make the educational system safe for future Arne Duncan’s.-MB

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