End of An Era: Duncan Had K-12 Roots, But Stood Tall on Higher Ed Reform
By Allie Bidwell and Brittany Hackett, Communications Staff
When Education Secretary Arne Duncan abruptly announced last week that he will be stepping down at the end of December, reactions from the education community were mixed.
Some in the K-12 sector, including teachers unions, took the opportunity to criticize the Department of Education’s (ED) stronger hand in education policy under Duncan. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, noted in a statement that he and Duncan at times butted heads about local versus national control over education.
But even those who disagreed with the policies and regulations he spearheaded over the last six years acknowledged that Duncan had a deep dedication to and passion for his job.
“It goes without saying that we have had our disagreements, but I have never doubted his commitment to America’s students,” said Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chair of the House education committee, in a statement. “He has traveled the country urging states and schools to raise the bar on student achievement, and while some of his decisions have been controversial, he has challenged us to make education reform a national priority.”
Duncan came to the Obama administration with a strong background in K-12 education, after serving as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools for nearly eight years, and is the second-longest serving education secretary, after Richard Riley, who served under former President Bill Clinton.
Still, Duncan used his tenure to tackle more higher education issues – often controversial ones – than his predecessors. He made it a point to bring campus sexual assault, college affordability, accountability, and fraud to the spotlight as national education issues.
There were several policies and regulatory changes during Duncan’s tenure as secretary that advocates and higher education insiders view as “wins” for the industry and students, including the shift to the Direct Loan Program and the move to prior-prior year (PPY) income information on the FAFSA.
Amy Laitinen, director for higher education at New America, said that PPY is on her list for the top successes of Duncan’s ED, calling the move to PPY “one of the more significant things that Secretary Duncan has done.”
The gainful employment regulations released earlier this year are also “a huge win” and a “really important signal that outcomes matter” in higher education, she said. And while the regulations and debate surrounding them were “fraught politically,” Laitinen said that she does not view them as an overreach.
“I don’t think it won Secretary Duncan any friends on the Hill or in the community, but he wasn’t trying to win a friend,” she said. “He was trying to protect students,” which is “something that has absolutely motivated him” throughout his time leading ED.
But for every victory under Duncan’s belt, there are several policies and decisions that have been given mixed, and even poor, review by higher education insiders.
For example, the release of the revamped College Scorecard and its accompanying data last month will have “really important, long-term impacts on student decisions,” Laitinen said. However, the release of the data is “sort of a mixed bag” because the administration spent two years defending its initial college ratings plan, rather than “going the data route, which would have been a better use of time,” she said.
Another policy that received mixed reviews was the 2014 change in the definition of “adverse credit history” in the Federal PLUS Loan Program. ED in 2011 tightened the credit standards for PLUS to bring them in line with those of banks. However, the changes had the potential to disproportionately impact historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), which typically enroll large shares of students from low-income and minority families. The definition of adverse credit history was changed in October 2014 in an attempt to strike a balance between increased availability of PLUS funds to improve student access to postsecondary education and limiting overborrowing to some extent through improved financial literacy.
While the changes to the definition were important, the way ED handled the situation was “bungled,” Laitinen said. “I thought it was the right policy, but really poorly implemented, and unfortunately the implementation got in the way of the message,” she added.
Even programs that are viewed as successful have some drawbacks, according to Andrew Kelly, director of the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Center on Education Reform. The Direct Loan Program, for instance, has been beneficial to borrowers – and was a cost-saving initiative for the government – but it did not solve the challenges related to student loan servicing and repayment, Kelly noted.
To some, Duncan’s biggest victory was not in one policy or regulation, but in his ability to drive the national conversation surrounding higher education and college costs.
Kelly said that several things ED did under Duncan’s leadership – such as recommending standardized award letters, releasing the College Scorecard, and creating more space for innovative programs – “were all of the same spirit” to make the higher education market more transparent for consumers.
And Duncan was particularly effective at using the bully pulpit to promote the message that financial aid “is not just about access to college, but about success,” Kelly said. “I think he did have students on his mind most of the time and that’s admirable.”
As Duncan transitions out of his current role, there are some issues that will be inherited by his successor, John King, who is currently senior advisor delegated duties of deputy secretary of education, and also comes from a strong K-12 background. But for the most part, Kelly and Laitinen said they believe it will be business as usual for higher education in ED, as Undersecretary Ted Mitchell continues at the helm.
Laitinen said she anticipates more work on consumer information, competency-based education, and possibly accreditation. Kelly said he thinks a greater focus on student loan servicers will come forth in the last year of the Obama administration, as well a work on improving the income-based repayment programs.
Publication Date: 10/9/2015
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