Arne Duncan Obama's Pick for Education Secretary

From CBS News' Marc Ambinder:

A senior transition official confirms to CBS News' Marc Ambinder that Obama will nominate Arne Duncan to be Education Secretary tomorrow at his 11:45 am ET news conference in Chicago.

Duncan has worked in the Chicago Public Schools for ten years and was named CEO of the system by Mayor Richard Daley in 2001. He supports merit pay for administrators and teachers, but he also supports money for teacher retraining, recruitment and classroom infrastructure. Duncan is on the record as favoring No Child Left Behind, although, like Obama, he favors significant reforms.

Ambinder reports that the Teachers Union is pleased with Obama's selection, a sentiment the group's president shared with the President-elect.

A hometown is not the only thing Obama and Duncan have in common, the presumed appointee once played his future boss' favotite sport, professional basketball, in Australia.