US: Arne Duncan skirts HE during confirmation hearing

Arne Duncan took a step toward becoming the next US Secretary of Education last Tuesday, but the Chicago public schools chief had little to say about higher education during his Senate confirmation hearing, reports Inside Higher Ed.

Duncan, heralded as a reformer in elementary and secondary education, gave few indications of what the public might expect from him when it comes to postsecondary education. That was in part because senators were far more interested in talking about early childhood education and the No Child Left Behind law.

While Duncan frequently spoke of "access" and "affordability," he didn't mention a third "a-word" - "accountability." The omission was significant, given the fact that pressure for greater accountability in higher education has been a crucial issue for Margaret Spellings, who is in her final days as President Bush's secretary of education. Duncan did note, however, that the US is losing its competitive edge internationally when it comes to the educational achievement of its citizenry.
Full report on the Inside Higher Ed site