Polis statement on Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's resignation announcement

Statement

Rep. Jared Polis (CO-02) issued the following statement today in response to Arne Duncan's announcement that he will resign his position as Secretary of Education in December:

"In his nearly seven-year tenure at the Department of Education, Secretary Duncan has been a voice and advocate for students at all levels of education, from early childhood to elementary and secondary schools to postsecondary education.

"Secretary Duncan did a great job using the waiver process to encourage positive reforms and improvements in public education. Because of his service, we have a more robust system for teacher evaluation, districts are working with teachers more and helping them along, and we have identified and changed some of the practices that stood in the way of our most at-risks students achieving.

"Thanks to Secretary Duncan's leadership, expanding high-quality early education is now top-of-mind for our nation's governors and in Congress. In higher education, Secretary Duncan has started a long-overdue conversation about keeping schools accountable for student outcomes.

"And above anything else, Secretary Duncan will leave a legacy of pushing beyond the status quo, guided by the belief that every child, regardless of race, background, or ethnicity, deserves a great education and can achieve the American Dream. In his time in Washington, Secretary Duncan's priority, from day one, has been the best interest of students across this nation. It has been an honor working with him during my time in Congress. Kids in my district and across the country are better off because of Secretary Duncan's tireless efforts."

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