The former head of the Chicago Teachers Union has condemned Barack Obama's choice of Arne Duncan as education secretary – proof positive that the president-elect chose wisely.

“I don't believe Mr. Duncan's model is a model for America,” said Deborah Lynch after yesterday's announcement. But Mr. Duncan's model is exactly what America needs.

Mr. Obama devoted a sizable chunk of The Audacity of Hope, his election platform disguised as a book, to the importance of fixing America's education system. But teachers unions are powerful forces within the Democratic Party, and Mr. Obama muted his calls for change during his campaign.

With the choice of Mr. Duncan, head of the Chicago Public Schools and a friend of Mr. Obama, the president-elect has signalled his determination to accelerate reforms that were launched by George W. Bush and that stand as the finest achievement of his presidency.

Ms. Lynch's quote is actually not representative of union reaction to the appointment. Both the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers have praised Mr. Duncan, who maintained labour peace in Chicago even as he successfully worked to improve student performance. That's because Mr. Duncan rightly believes that America's schools are underfunded and America's teachers underpaid. But he also believes good teachers should make more money, and poor teachers should be fired. More important, he believes in charter schools – the future of public education.

According to The Washington Post, middle-school students from low-income families in the District of Columbia who attended charter schools performed 13 per cent better in reading and math scores than those in regular public schools. They also had higher graduation and attendance rates.

The district has one of the worst public school systems in America. Far too many black students from damaged families attend shoddy schools manned by defeated teachers. But more than a third of the district's children now attend charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run, and where there are no teachers unions. Within a few years, most kids in D.C. will be attending charter schools.

Charters work because teachers are paid based on performance, because the schools rely heavily on testing (to identify failing teachers as much as failing students) and because the schools inculcate an atmosphere of discipline and support – exactly what many students lack at home.

People are starting to get this, which is why Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, has said her union is ready to discuss the idea of merit pay and tenure. (Weakening the power of tenure would make it easier to fire bad teachers.)

Absolutely nothing is more important to America's future than improving public education, and not simply because a poorly educated work force makes for an uncompetitive economy. Education matters because the education problem is really a race problem. Most students in failing schools are black or Hispanic and, because their schools fail them, they don't learn, they drop out, they turn to crime or get pregnant, and the cycle of poverty perpetuates itself.

Mr. Obama understands this truth. He saw it first-hand during his years as a community organizer on Chicago's South Side. You can count on him giving Mr. Duncan a mandate for reform.

No Child Left Behind, Mr. Bush's legislation mandating standardized testing for public schools, is hated by unions and is up for congressional renewal. The testing criteria could be improved, but Mr. Duncan must ensure that any new funding is tied to measurable outcomes. Money that reinforces failure is money wasted.

Education “is the civil-rights issue of our generation,” Mr. Duncan said yesterday. Yes, exactly.