Managing Partner at Emerson Collective, Former U.S. Secretary of Education (2009 - 2016)
Arne Duncan: Biography at a Glance
- Arne Duncan served as the U.S. Secretary of Education under President Barack Obama
- He helped secure congressional support for significant investments in education, focused billions of dollars to transform struggling schools
- Served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools from 2001 to 2008
- Senior fellow at University of Chicago and board member of Communities in Schools
- Board member of cloud-based communications company RingCentral
- Head of Chicago CRED (Creating Real Economic Destiny), working to dramatically reduce gun violence in Chicago
- Arne will share insights and thoughts on the education system as well as his other focus optimism, where he has dedicated a majority of his life to removing barriers to opportunities so people can live to their full potential
Media
EmersonCollective.comBusiness Wire: "RingCentral Appoints Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Dun...Emerson Collective: "A new way to think about conflict – and how we get out of i...The Trace: "Inside the Ambitious Campaign to Push Chicago Homicides Below 400"The Nation: "The Legacy of Arne Duncan, ‘A Hero in the Education Business’"Brookings: "Empowering young people to end Chicago’s gun violence problem"The Atlantic: "Arne Duncan: ‘Everyone Says They Value Education, but Their Actio...
Videos
Biography
As managing partner at Emerson Collective, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan returns to Chicago on a mission to improve the lives of young adults in his hometown. Through partnerships with local business leaders, community organizers, and nonprofit groups, Duncan aims to create job and life opportunities for disconnected youth between the ages of 17 and 24.
Emerson Collective is an organization dedicated to removing barriers to opportunity so people can live to their full potential. Established by Laurene Powell Jobs, Emerson Collective centers its work on education, immigration reform, the environment and other social justice initiatives.
Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Duncan served as chief executive officer of Chicago Public Schools. From 2001 to 2008, Duncan won praise for uniting the city’s stakeholders behind an education agenda that included opening 100 new schools; expanding after-school, summer learning, early childhood, and college access programs; dramatically boosting the caliber of teachers; and building public-private partnerships around a variety of education initiatives.
Duncan graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1987, majoring in sociology. At Harvard he served as co-captain of the basketball team and was named a first team Academic All-American. Additionally, he is on the board of Ariel Investments, Aspen Institute, National Association of Basketball Coaches and more.
News
"Can Arne Duncan Save Chicago?"
"Arne Duncan: Giving Hope to Chicago's Youth Through CRED"
"What ails education? ‘An absence of vision, a failure of will and politics’"
"People are saying education reform hasn’t worked. Don’t believe them."
"Arne Duncan: We value our guns more than we value our children"
"Hiring returning citizens is good for business"
"Trump doesn’t want an educated workforce, Obama education secretary says"
Topics
How Schools Work: An Inside Account of Failure and Success From One of the Nation’s Longest-Serving Secretaries of Education
As former Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan provides a unique perspective on how schools work and where schools are letting children down. Arne shares how to fix America’s schools with an incredible firsthand look at successful, creative approaches, focus on the right data and strong advocacy for early childhood education. He believes that education should be the ultimate equalizer. No matter race, class or zip code, access to a great education is a national-security issue and an economic issue: the best-educated workforce keeps jobs in the U.S. and breaks cycles of poverty.
The Great Optimist
As Managing Partner of Emerson Collective, an organization dedicated to removing barriers to opportunity so people can live to their full potential, Arne Duncan leads Chicago CRED (Creating Real Economic Destiny). CRED aims to reduce the number of shootings and gun violence in Chicago. While many see dismal criminal and gun violence statistics, Arne is up close and personal with citizens living in the most violent, hopeless areas of the city. At CRED, he works with young adults and formerly incarcerated citizens to provide mentors, job opportunities, health services that can turn around individuals one-by-one, thus transforming a city. Above all, Arne speaks with incredible hope and optimism about the hard work, character and strength of the youth he encounters daily. Learn about the work they are doing in Chicago, and how they are learning from other cities around the nation to transform the economic hope of a city.
