Secretary Duncan discusses the status and future of public education in America. Duncan was nominated as secretary by then President-elect Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 2009. During his confirmation hearings, Duncan said, "education is the most pressing issue facing America," and that "education is also the civil rights issue of our generation."

Prior to his appointment, Duncan served as the chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Schools and was the longest-serving, big-city education superintendent in the country. From 1992-1998, he ran the non-profit Ariel Education Initiative which helped fund college for inner-city children under the I Have a Dream program. The Kumpuris Lecture Series is sponsored by the Clinton Foundation, the Clinton School and AT&T.