(Chicago, Illinois) Ron Huberman is settling in as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools. Huberman, who is openly gay, replaces Arne Duncan who now serves as Secretary of the United States Department of Education.

“Ron shares my commitment to offer our city’s children the best education in the nation.  He understands that in a changing world a world-class education system is critical to our city’s long term economic future,” said Mayor Daley when he appointed Huberman last week.

Previously, Huberman served as President of the Chicago Transit Authority. Prior to that he was Chief of Staff to the Mayor from May 2005 to April of 2007.

Huberman holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and English from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and master’s degrees in Business Administration and Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago, where he was both an Albert Schweitzer and Paul and Daisy Soros Fellow.

Huberman, 37, improved management, cut spending and implemented innovative approaches that have improved services at the CTA, Daley said.

But he has his work cut out for him dealing with the the nation’s third-largest school system. Under Duncan’s leadership test scores, attendance and graduation rates all improved significantly but Dailey said he wants dropout rate decreased further and an increase in the graduation rate.

Since his appointment he has been busing it to work, taking the opportunity to talk with students. The first result: a draft of a new school security plan to ensure student safety.

Huberman was born in Israel. His family emigrated to the United States when he was 5, settling first in Oak Ridge, Tenn..

He came out to his parents at age 15.

While Chicago Public Schools has included sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination policy since 1997, schools have been slow to update their handbooks to include those protections, and students still find themselves fighting to establish Gay Straight Alliances.

Last year a proposal for a gay school was shelved following opposition, although supporters say they hope to revive it to open in 2010.