U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan is troubled by the beleaguered state of Detroit schools as well as the system's high dropout rates. "Without getting into too many details, I am extraordinarily concerned about the poor quality of education, quite frankly, the children of Detroit are receiving," he said. "And I think we have a moral obligation to get dramatically better there to really challenge the status quo."

Duncan also criticized the area's leaders for putting politics ahead of kids.

There have been lots of adult issues and politics that I think have really done our children of Detroit a great disservice," he said.

Martin Ackley, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Education, said Duncan and Flanagan have discussed the problems in Detroit Public Schools during a forum with superintendents, and Duncan invited Flanagan to have private conversations on how to address the district's challenges.

Ackley said the federal spotlight on Detroit could spur change in the struggling system.

"There's a realization that from crisis comes opportunity," he said.

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Source: The Detroit News, 2.14.09