Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Tenure of Education Secretary Arne Duncan

WASHINGTON– Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the announcement that Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will step down from his position in December:

“Secretary Duncan’s commitment to advancing the civil and human rights of all students will be long-remembered as a hallmark of his tenure at the Department of Education. 

Under his leadership, the department made historic advances in addressing school discipline and resource disparities, providing data on educational opportunities for vulnerable students, expanding access to high-quality early childhood education, addressing campus sexual assault and reining in the for-profit college industry. 

We look forward to working with John King to strengthen these initiatives, to preserve the civil rights legacy of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in Congress and to expand educational opportunities for all students.”

Wade Henderson is the president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

###