Education Secretary Arne Duncan will retire in December, officials said Friday.
Duncan is one of the few original remaining members of President Obama’s cabinet still serving. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Office of Management and Budget Director Shaun Donovan are also still on board.
In a letter to his staff obtained by the Associated Press, Duncan, 50, is set to return to Chicago to live with his family. Duncan didn’t say what he’d do next, but said he hopes his future will “continue to involve the work of expanding opportunity for children.”
John King Jr., a senior official at the Education Department, has been tapped by Obama to run the department for the remainder of his administration. King will not be nominated to replace Duncan, and instead he will serve for the rest of Obama’s presidency in an acting capacity.
Prior to his time as the ninth Education Secretary, Duncan served as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools district from 2001 to 2009.
Obama is set to hold a news conference from the White House Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. EST to formally announce the personnel change and take questions.
