Betsy DeVos’ Claim, “Common Core Is Dead,” Enrages Conservatives
By Carole Hornsby Haynes, Ph.D. January 23, 2018
U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos claimed in a recent speech to American Enterprise Institute that “at the U.S. Department, Common Core is dead.”
This is not the first time DeVos has made misleading remarks about Common Core. She told Fox News that, “The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which is in the process of being implemented now, essentially does away with the whole argument about Common Core.”
Recently President trump appointed Frank Brogan to the key position of assistant secretary of education for elementary and secondary education. This is puzzling since Trump campaigned on the promise that he would stop federal support of Common Core and return control over education to the states and the people. With the appointment of Brogan, a longtime Bush ally from Florida, the probability of that promise being kept seems to be fading.
Sparks flew recently when Senator Ted Cruz filed an amendment to the tax reform bill allowing 529 college savings accounts to be expanded to include private, religious, and homeschools. The homeschool associations squared off in separate corners on the homeschool provision.
When Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced an amendment to expand 529 college savings plans to include K-12 education, allowing parents to use these tax-advantage plans for private schools, religious schools, or even homeschools, the Democrats had a meltdown.
The fallout from Common Core continues as international and national tests report the falling scores of American students, highlighting the disastrous effect of business leaders dictating what and how students are taught.