U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced that he plans to leave his post in December.
President Obama, who has selected Deputy Secretary John B. King Jr. to replace Duncan, said at a ceremony of Duncan, "He's done more to bring our education systemometimes kicking and screaminginto the 21st century more than anybody else. America is going to be better off for what he's done."
Obama brought Duncan with him to Washington, D.C., from Chicago, where he served as the city's schools chief. Duncan's departure means Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will be the only remaining Cabinet-level secretary who has been with Obama since 2009, CNN noted.
In a statement, GLSEN Executive Director Dr. Eliza Byard said, "Secretary of Education Arne Duncan welcomed a GLSEN delegation to his office in the earliest days of his tenure, and sought out numerous opportunities to hear from lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ( LGBT ) students directly about the realities of their lives and the steps he could take to help make a difference.
"Secretary Duncan always demonstrated a deep personal concern for the well-being of these marginalized students and, during the seven years of his tenure, the U.S. Department of Education has done more to create positive school climates for LGBT students than in any previous time in our history."
David Stacy, Human Rights Campaign's director of government affairs, said in a separate release, "Through Secretary Duncan's leadership, the Department of Education has become a trailblazer in protecting LGBT students.
"[He] sent a critical signal to teachers and school administrators that they must welcome and respect LGBT students and create a learning environment that enables all students to succeed, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Most importantly, Secretary Duncan's work to protect transgender students will help increase the potential for transgender and gender non-conforming students to be safe at school, to stay in school, and to succeed in school."