MEDIA: National Press, Education Groups Go Ga Ga For Duncan

Amazing but not surprising to see most everyone -- including the national press -- lining up behind the Duncan pick.  He's a nice guy!  Everyone can "work with" him!  He can hoop with the Prez-elect!

But it makes me a little suspicious -- and you should be, too. 

Most of the folks who are gushing about him don't really know him (or Chicago) that well, or hope to work for him in the near future, or are approving of him because they think that they can beat him in DC.  Many of the folks writing stories last night were starting nearly from scratch.

Hopefully the day two stories will dig a little deeper into Duncan's retro union contract (short day, short year, etc.), the district's excruciatingly slow progress on increasing achievement (see NAEP), the school closing fiasco (and I like school closings), and the closed and capped "charter" system Chicago still has.