Arne Duncan spoke Wednesday about the impact of gun violence on America's youth and chastised Congress for not acting on the issue, while giving the final speech of his seven years as U.S. secretary of education.
Duncan, who has been one of President Barack Obama's longest-serving Cabinet members, is stepping down at the end of 2015. He is being replaced by John King Jr. -- the former New York commissioner of education -- who will serve as acting U.S. secretary of education. During his speech in the basement of Saint Sabina Church in Chicago, Duncan said he did not know what he will do next, but said he will continue to advocate for gun safety.
Duncan spoke about the country's recent educational accomplishments -- citing improved high school graduation rates and reduced drop-out rates -- but focused on present and future barriers to success for America's youth.
"I think like all of you, I feel this huge sense of urgency. We have to do better and more for our young people. This is not some mission accomplished moment," said Duncan, who choked up while speaking.
He referred to the 16,000 youths who were killed as a result of gun violence during his first six years in the administration.
"This is a Chicago issue, it's a national issue. It's a crisis," said Duncan, a Chicago native. "A majority of young men of color don’t think they're going to live past 23. What does that compel us to do? It's not business as usual, it's something radically, radically different."
He continued, "Like the president, I feel there has been no greater frustration, no greater disappointment, than Congress' unwillingness to move the most simple, most basic laws to better protect our children. There is not a greater disconnect in public policy in terms of what the American public wants in terms of preventing gun violence and increasing safety and what Congress has actually done."
He talked about issues related to police training, saying that "these issues are real" and calling for greater transparency among police departments.
Finally, he proposed a plan to improve the circumstances of America's children overall, calling it a "new deal." The four-point plan would expand access to early childhood education, put the best teachers in the most disadvantaged schools and end the school-to-prison pipeline, provide at-risk youth with more mentors, and create more job opportunities for young people.
Prior to serving as education secretary, Duncan led the Chicago public school system. During his tenure as secretary, Duncan played a key role in influencing K-12 policy throughout the country, often pushing a controversial agenda. Under his lead, a majority of states adopted the Common Core State Standards -- a set of education benchmarks that have drawn the ire of conservatives and liberals alike. States agreed to adopt Common Core in exchange for federal grants as part of the Race to the Top competition.
Duncan has said he is going to return to Chicago to spend more time with his family after leaving his post.
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