DePaul University, the largest Catholic university in the United States, has faculty members who have worked closely with Arne Duncan and/or the Chicago Public Schools system. They can provide firsthand knowledge about Duncan, his leadership style and education philosophy.

Professors available to speak with reporters are:

Ronald Chennault, associate professor of education. Chennault can comment on Duncan’s work with Chicago Public Schools, as well as Obama’s education platform, including Obama’s position on the No Child Left Behind Act, performance pay and school choice. He can be reached at 773/325-4691 or by e-mail at rchennau@depaul.edu.

Roxanne Ferrici, assistant visiting professor of education. Ferrici has worked with Duncan on several initiatives and is very familiar with his work. She also can talk about education issues in the Obama administration, including the No Child Left Behind Act, Head Start and early education. She can be reached at 773/325-8692 (cell) or rferrici@depaul.edu.

Andrea Kaufman, acting chair, Department of Leadership in Education, Language and Human Services; associate professor of education. She can talk about Obama’s choice of Duncan vs. other contenders for the position. “Arne is not just a compromise person. He really knows how to bring the entrenched stakeholders together. On a smaller scale, he represents what Obama is trying to do: get everyone to move forward.” She also can talk about Obama’s role in early childhood education policy in Illinois and how it may foreshadow some of his policy on the federal level. She can be reached at 773/325-7661 or by e-mail at akaufman@depaul.edu.

Barbara Radner, director, Center for Urban Education; associate professor, School for New Learning. Radner can discuss the difference that Duncan has made in the Chicago Public Schools and the implications for the United States, including changing the focus from test scores to the quality of teaching; giving schools the autonomy to make progress innovatively; establishing professional support for principals to strengthen Chicago’s leadership; and creating pipelines for advancement from classroom to district level, and now from CPS to the U.S. “Arne Duncan has changed the way Chicago educators think and work. He knows the key to progress is the ability of the classroom teacher, and his initiatives all have kept that central focus. Chicago’s classrooms are much brighter because of the bold changes he has led.” Radner has worked extensively in the Chicago Public Schools and is very familiar with Duncan’s impact on CPS. She can discuss the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act, having served on state committees charged with implementing the program. She also can discuss the challenges the president-elect faces to make school reform work, based on her work with 80 Chicago public schools, and the undoing of George W. Bush’s education legacy. She can be reached at 773/899-0409 (cell) or by e-mail at bradner@depaul.edu.