I think Duncan should be put on the spot for pushing through the Naval Academy over the objection of parents and students at Senn.

He has mainly been an advocate of local, community-based decision-making in the past, although he has never given local groups a complete veto. He does work for the Mayor and is constrainted by him. And sometimes local groups are wrong, as in opposing needed reforms or keeping minorities out or their influence at a minimum. Plus the Navy has attached some big bucks to Senn, which I'm sure is a factor.

Still, none of these mitigates going against the panrent and community sentiment at Senn.

I think people should also know that Duncan has helped the antiwar movement in the past. He supported our School Forum on Iraq project, which brought the debate over the war into dozens of school assemblies, and he wrote to every school principal in the city system urging them to take part.

Some people feel that, for better or worse, Duncan is too much of a progressive educator and not enough of a politician to be effective at getting what he wants. Within the school reform movement, he own persepective is solidly in the camp of the progressive community-driven small schools movement, especially in the inner city where this approach is very effective at positive change, although again he doesn't always get what he wants.

Still, hold his feet to the fire over the Senn Naval Academy issue. Just keep a broader picture in mind at the same time.