The Resume

(November 6, 1964- )
Born in Chicago, Illinois
United States Secretary of Education for the Obama administration (January 21, 2009)

Why he might be annoying:

He referred to education as a 'civil rights issue.'
He is a market-based education reformer who wasn't wildly popular with teacher's unions.
A Democrat, he went against many in his party by supporting education privatization, charter schools and vouchers.
He put his foot in his mouth when he said Hurricane Katrina was the best thing that happened to the educational system in New Orleans.
He said of education standards: 'the idea of 50 states doing their own thing doesn't make sense,' thus drawing the ire of conservatives.
Conservatives were also unhappy that his Department of Education received federal stimulus money.

Why he might not be annoying:

He graduated Harvard with a sociology degree.
He received numerous awards for his work as CEO of Chicago Public Schools.
As CEO, he helped raise student graduation rates and test scores.
He hoped to fix some of the failures of George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind.
He advocated for better educational opportunities for non-white students.
He played professional basketball in Australia for several years.

Credit: D

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• B.C. or A.D.
• D's Profiles [Series 08]
• I am from Chicago
• I Attended Harvard
• I Was a Speaker at the Democratic National Convention [2012]
• Linked to Barack Obama
• Look at Me, My Picture Is Art
• Profiles 28751-29000 (Ranked: 28753)
• Rolling Stone's 100 People Who Are Changing America [March 2009] (Ranked: 98)

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 5 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 17 Votes: 58.82% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 32 Votes: 59.38% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 42 Votes: 64.29% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 130 Votes: 53.08% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 588 Votes: 57.48% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 349 Votes: 53.01% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 654 Votes: 63.91% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 48 Votes: 70.83% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 182 Votes: 56.04% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 4323 Votes: 77.52% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 1370 Votes: 65.33% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 734 Votes: 69.07% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 178 Votes: 67.98% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 598 Votes: 63.38% Annoying