Arne Duncan is an American educator and former government official who served as the United States Secretary of Education from 2009 to 2015 under President Barack Obama. He was born on November 6, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois, and has a background in both education and sports. Before his role in the federal government, Duncan was the CEO of the Chicago Public Schools. During his tenure as Secretary of Education, Duncan focused on initiatives such as the Race to the Top program, which aimed to improve education standards and increase accountability in schools. He advocated for reforms in education policy, including the expansion of charter schools and the implementation of standardized testing.