Obama names Duncan new secretary of education

He has been leading the third largest school district in the country since 2001. Prior to that, he also worked for six years with an initiative to create educational opportunities for students on Chicago's South Side.

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama (R) introduces Chicago Public Schools Chief Arne Duncan as his nominee for secretary of education during a news conference at the Dodge Renaissance Academy in Chicago December 16, 2008. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

The current education secretary, Margaret Spelling, has called Duncan a "visionary" school leader and reformer who would be a "great choice" to run the U.S. Department of Education.

"I am convinced that no issue -- no issue is more pressing than education," Duncan said at the press conference. "Whether it's fighting poverty, strengthening our economy, or promoting opportunity, education is the common thread."

Living in the same neighborhood in Chicago South Side, Duncan and Obama are longtime friends, and often play basketball together.

During Obama's presidential campaign, Duncan served as his adviser on education policies.

In 1987, Duncan graduated from Harvard University with a degree in sociology, where he was co-captain of the basketball team. From1987 to 1991, he played professional basketball in Australia, during which he met his wife, Karen.