Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
Home > Why Noam Chomsky and Education Activists Are Warning That Obama's
Pick for Education Secretary Could Be Disastrous
________________________________________
Why Noam Chomsky and Education Activists Are Warning That Obama's Pick for
Education Secretary Could Be Disastrous
By Ben Norton [1] / Salon [2]
March 4, 2016
Leading progressive voices are warning that President Obama's choice for
education secretary could be a disaster.
An open letter to the U.S. Senate, published [3] in the Washington Post on
Thursday, asks lawmakers to reject the confirmation of John King as the new
secretary of education.
King, the acting secretary of education, has a long history of supporting
corporate-friendly education reforms, and has pushed for unpopular policies
like more standardized testing and Common Core, which critics say are
ineffective.
The letter is signed by world-renowned scholar Noam Chomsky, along with
journalist Naomi Klein, Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis, Green
Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and a host of other prominent
scholars and activists, including some of the most established pro-public
education voices.
A variety of teachers' and public education organizations signed the letter
as well, including New York for Public Education, Save Our Schools and Time
Out From Testing.
The signatories warn King's policies "have been ineffective and destructive
to schools, educators, and most importantly students."
"The American public deserves a Secretary of Education who will advocate for
their interests, not those of the testing corporations who profit from the
Common Core," the letter reads.
As former education commissioner for New York state, King strongly supported
Common Core and inBloom, an organization that collected sensitive private
information of students (in Bloom has since been shut down [4]).
The Washington Post notes that, during his time as New York's education
chief, King led extreme standardized testing-heavy reforms that, for
instance, made art teachers responsible for students' math test scores.
In fact, King's push for Common Core and standardizing testing designed by
the corporate education giant Pearson - which has been widely criticized [5]
for putting profit over effective policy - "was considered such a disaster
that New York. Gov Andrew Cuomo wrote in a letter to top state education
officials that 'Common Core's implementation in New York has been flawed and
mismanaged from the start,'" the Post reports.
Because of King's policies, 20 percent of test-takers across New York
refused to take the tests in protest.
King stepped down from the position in December 2014, after years of
protests, and moved to D.C. to serve under Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
When Duncan stepped down in late 2015, King was next in line.
The signatories of the open letter, which is included below, insists King
"is the wrong choice for the position."
"His policies failed," the scholars, educators and activists say.
Journalist and author Nikhil Goyal wrote much of the letter, along with
Carol Burris, a former New York high school principal who now leads the
Network for Public Education Fund.
Although a mere 20 years old, Goyal has quickly established himself as a
leading voice on education in the U.S. He just released his second book [6],
"Schools on Trial: How Freedom and Creativity Can Fix Our Educational
Malpractice," and has appeared in a slew of media outlets, along with
Forbes' 30 Under 30 list.
Goyal recently wrote a piece for Salon [7] detailing why
"corporate-education reformer John King is exactly the wrong man to be
secretary of education."
Salon reached out to Goyal for further comment on the letter and Acting
Secretary King.
"The U.S. Senate should not confirm John King, a man who will bring the
failed policies he pursued as education commissioner of New York State to
the entire nation," Goyal stressed.
"This letter is yet another sign of the growing resistance in the United
States against corporate, neoliberal reform - school closures, standardized
testing, and Common Core standards," he added.
Goyal said he and fellow education activists are urging Sens. Bernie Sanders
and Elizabeth Warren, in particular, to pressure President Obama to nominate
someone else. Sanders and Warren are the two progressive members of the
Senate's education committee [8].
"King is one of the leading figures of the corporate school reform movement.
Arguably, his agenda is just as terrible and oppressive as the former
Secretary Arne Duncan," Goyal told Salon.
"This country needs a secretary of education who will help bring some sanity
into our classrooms, not a lackey of the corporate machine."
Letter:
To the U.S. Senate,
As educators, students, parents, and activists, we are writing to strongly
urge you to reject the confirmation of John King, President Obama's nominee
for the Secretary of Education. We believe he is the wrong choice for the
position.
Research and evidence demonstrate that the education policies that John King
has supported throughout his career, such as the Common Core standards, the
collection of private student information, and high-stakes standardized
testing, have been ineffective and destructive to schools, educators, and
most importantly students.
As New York State Education Commissioner, he was an unapologetic supporter
of the Common Core standards and inBloom. His policies failed. While test
scores are flawed metrics, in 2013, just 31 percent of students in New York
passed the English and math standardized tests, the first tests to be
aligned to the Common Core and in three years the scores have barely budged.
The achievement gap grew. Last year, over 200,000 students opted out of the
tests.
Educators, parents, and students as well as the state teachers union and
other public education advocacy groups called for King's resignation. His
style is inflexible and he is quick to criticize the motives of those with
whom he disagrees. He persistently refused to consider the desperate pleas
of students and teachers who were reporting that the Common Core and
value-added teacher evaluations were not working.
The American public deserves a Secretary of Education who will advocate for
their interests, not those of the testing corporations who profit from the
Common Core. We also deserve a Secretary who respects the importance of
schools governed by communities, not by federal mandate.
Senators should not be misled by vague promises to do better as King offered
at a recent hearing. John King is the wrong candidate and he will follow the
failed strategies of Mr. Duncan. We strongly urge you to reject his
nomination and recommend to President Obama that he nominate a candidate who
will bring a progressive perspective to the department as it implements the
Every Student Succeeds Act.
Signatures:
(Individuals)
Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor & Professor of Linguistics (Emeritus), MIT
Naomi Klein, Award-winning journalist and author
Diane Ravitch, Research Professor, New York University
Jonathan Kozol, National Book Award-winning author
Deborah Meier, Senior Scholar, New York University and 1987 MacArthur Fellow
Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate
Lucas Neff, Actor
Karen Lewis, President of the Chicago Teachers Union
Jeff Sharlet, Associate Professor of English, Dartmouth College
Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Assistant Professor, Center for African American
Studies, Princeton University
Carla Shedd, Assistant Professor of Sociology & African American Studies,
Columbia University
Alfie Kohn, Acclaimed author on education
Nikhil Goyal, Author of the book Schools On Trial and Forbes 30 Under 30
honoree
Linda Nathan, Senior Lecturer, Boston University
Steve Cohen, Lecturer, Tufts University
Corey Robin, Professor of Political Science, Brooklyn College and the CUNY
Graduate Center
Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Professor emerita, Lesley University
Mary Beth Tinker, Free speech activist
Andrew Hartman, Associate Professor, Illinois State University
Henry Giroux, Professor of English and Cultural Studies, McMaster University
Stephen Krashen, Professor Emeritus, University of Southern California
Peter McLaren, Distinguished Professor in Critical Studies, Chapman
University
Mark Naison, Professor of History, Fordham University
Robert Buchanan, Undergraduate Faculty, Goddard College
Eva Swidler, Undergraduate Faculty, Goddard College
Lois Weiner, Professor of Education, New Jersey City University
Lawrence Brown, Assistant Professor, School of Community Health and Policy,
Morgan State University
Jeanette Deutermann, Founder of Long Island Opt Out and parent
M. Zachary Mezera, Executive director of the Providence Student Union
Israel Munoz, Co-founder of the Chicago Student Union
Carol Burris, Executive Director of the Network for Public Education
Raynard Sanders, Radio host of The New Orleans Imperative
Howie Hawkins, 2014 Green Party candidate for NY Governor
Brian Jones, 2014 Green Party candidate for NY Lieutenant Governor
Benji Cohen, Doctoral history student, University of Virginia
Brian LeCloux, Wisconsin high school psychology teacher
Doug Henwood, Journalist and NYC public school parent
Liza Featherstone, amNY columnist, educator and NYC public school parent
Julian Vasquez Heilig, Professor of Education, California State University
Sacramento
Wayne Au, Associate Professor of Education, University of Washington,
Bothell
Jeff Bryant, Associate Fellow at Campaign for America's Future
Arnold Dodge, Associate Professor/Chair, Department of Educational
Leadership and Administration, Long Island University Post
Anthony Cody, Author and educator
Lisa Edstrom, Brooklyn parent and educator
Rita Green, Alaska, Oregon, WA, Seattle/King County NAACP Education Chair
Nancy K. Cauthen, Sociologist
Jia Lee, Educator and 2016 UFT presidential candidate
Julie Cavanagh, Educator and 2013 MORE/UFT presidential candidate
Michael Klonsky, Executive Director at The Small Schools Workshop and
educator
Monty Neill, Executive Director of the National Center for Fair & Open
Testing (FairTest)
Jason Endacott, Assistant Professor of Secondary Social Studies Education,
University of Arkansas
Chris Goering, Associate Professor, English Education, University of
Arkansas
Lisa Rudley, Executive Director and Founding Member, NYS Allies for Public
Education
Meg Norris, Founder/Director of Opt Out Georgia
Bianca Tanis, NYS Allies for Public Education
Katie Zahedi, NYS Allies for Public Education
(Organizations)
The Network for Public Education
New York State Allies for Public Education
Change the Stakes
New York City Opt Out
NYCpublic
Save Our Schools
Long Island Opt-Out
Parents Across Rhode Island
Opt Out Georgia
Time Out From Testing
Badass Teachers Association
Network for Public Education Action
Philly Neighborhood Networks
The Opt Out Florida Network
The North Country Alliance for Public Education
National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest)
United Opt Out National
Half Hollow Hills Teachers' Association
Teaching, Not Testing: A New Narrative for Education
Citizens for Public Schools, Massachusetts
Rethinking Schools
Ben Norton is a politics staff writer at Salon. You can find him on Twitter
at @BenjaminNorton [9].
Share on Facebook Share
Share on Twitter Tweet
Report typos and corrections to 'corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx'. [10]
[11]
________________________________________
Source URL:
http://www.alternet.org/education/why-noam-chomsky-and-education-activists-a
re-warning-obamas-pick-education-secretary-could
Links:
[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/ben-norton
[2] http://www.salon.com
[3]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/03/03/activists-urg
e-senate-not-to-confirm-obamas-pick-for-new-education-secretary/
[4]
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2014/04/inbloom_to_shut_down
_amid_growing_data_privacy_concerns.html
[5] http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/pearson-education-115026
[6]
http://www.amazon.com/Schools-Trial-Creativity-Educational-Malpractice/dp/03
85540124
[7]
http://www.salon.com/2016/02/25/another_common_core_disaster_corporate_educa
tion_reformer_john_king_is_exactly_the_wrong_man_to_be_secretary_of_educatio
n/
[8] http://www.help.senate.gov/about/members
[9] http://twitter.com/benjaminnorton
[10] mailto:corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Typo on Why Noam Chomsky and
Education Activists Are Warning That Obama's Pick for Education
Secretary Could Be Disastrous
[11] http://www.alternet.org/
[12] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
Home > Why Noam Chomsky and Education Activists Are Warning That Obama's
Pick for Education Secretary Could Be Disastrous
Why Noam Chomsky and Education Activists Are Warning That Obama's Pick for
Education Secretary Could Be Disastrous
By Ben Norton [1] / Salon [2]
March 4, 2016
Leading progressive voices are warning that President Obama's choice for
education secretary could be a disaster.
An open letter to the U.S. Senate, published [3] in the Washington Post on
Thursday, asks lawmakers to reject the confirmation of John King as the new
secretary of education.
King, the acting secretary of education, has a long history of supporting
corporate-friendly education reforms, and has pushed for unpopular policies
like more standardized testing and Common Core, which critics say are
ineffective.
The letter is signed by world-renowned scholar Noam Chomsky, along with
journalist Naomi Klein, Chicago Teachers Union president Karen Lewis, Green
Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and a host of other prominent
scholars and activists, including some of the most established pro-public
education voices.
A variety of teachers' and public education organizations signed the letter
as well, including New York for Public Education, Save Our Schools and Time
Out From Testing.
The signatories warn King's policies "have been ineffective and destructive
to schools, educators, and most importantly students."
"The American public deserves a Secretary of Education who will advocate for
their interests, not those of the testing corporations who profit from the
Common Core," the letter reads.
As former education commissioner for New York state, King strongly supported
Common Core and inBloom, an organization that collected sensitive private
information of students (in Bloom has since been shut down [4]).
The Washington Post notes that, during his time as New York's education
chief, King led extreme standardized testing-heavy reforms that, for
instance, made art teachers responsible for students' math test scores.
In fact, King's push for Common Core and standardizing testing designed by
the corporate education giant Pearson - which has been widely criticized [5]
for putting profit over effective policy - "was considered such a disaster
that New York. Gov Andrew Cuomo wrote in a letter to top state education
officials that 'Common Core's implementation in New York has been flawed and
mismanaged from the start,'" the Post reports.
Because of King's policies, 20 percent of test-takers across New York
refused to take the tests in protest.
King stepped down from the position in December 2014, after years of
protests, and moved to D.C. to serve under Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
When Duncan stepped down in late 2015, King was next in line.
The signatories of the open letter, which is included below, insists King
"is the wrong choice for the position."
"His policies failed," the scholars, educators and activists say.
Journalist and author Nikhil Goyal wrote much of the letter, along with
Carol Burris, a former New York high school principal who now leads the
Network for Public Education Fund.
Although a mere 20 years old, Goyal has quickly established himself as a
leading voice on education in the U.S. He just released his second book [6],
"Schools on Trial: How Freedom and Creativity Can Fix Our Educational
Malpractice," and has appeared in a slew of media outlets, along with
Forbes' 30 Under 30 list.
Goyal recently wrote a piece for Salon [7] detailing why
"corporate-education reformer John King is exactly the wrong man to be
secretary of education."
Salon reached out to Goyal for further comment on the letter and Acting
Secretary King.
"The U.S. Senate should not confirm John King, a man who will bring the
failed policies he pursued as education commissioner of New York State to
the entire nation," Goyal stressed.
"This letter is yet another sign of the growing resistance in the United
States against corporate, neoliberal reform - school closures, standardized
testing, and Common Core standards," he added.
Goyal said he and fellow education activists are urging Sens. Bernie Sanders
and Elizabeth Warren, in particular, to pressure President Obama to nominate
someone else. Sanders and Warren are the two progressive members of the
Senate's education committee [8].
"King is one of the leading figures of the corporate school reform movement.
Arguably, his agenda is just as terrible and oppressive as the former
Secretary Arne Duncan," Goyal told Salon.
"This country needs a secretary of education who will help bring some sanity
into our classrooms, not a lackey of the corporate machine."
Letter:
To the U.S. Senate,
As educators, students, parents, and activists, we are writing to strongly
urge you to reject the confirmation of John King, President Obama's nominee
for the Secretary of Education. We believe he is the wrong choice for the
position.
Research and evidence demonstrate that the education policies that John King
has supported throughout his career, such as the Common Core standards, the
collection of private student information, and high-stakes standardized
testing, have been ineffective and destructive to schools, educators, and
most importantly students.
As New York State Education Commissioner, he was an unapologetic supporter
of the Common Core standards and inBloom. His policies failed. While test
scores are flawed metrics, in 2013, just 31 percent of students in New York
passed the English and math standardized tests, the first tests to be
aligned to the Common Core and in three years the scores have barely budged.
The achievement gap grew. Last year, over 200,000 students opted out of the
tests.
Educators, parents, and students as well as the state teachers union and
other public education advocacy groups called for King's resignation. His
style is inflexible and he is quick to criticize the motives of those with
whom he disagrees. He persistently refused to consider the desperate pleas
of students and teachers who were reporting that the Common Core and
value-added teacher evaluations were not working.
The American public deserves a Secretary of Education who will advocate for
their interests, not those of the testing corporations who profit from the
Common Core. We also deserve a Secretary who respects the importance of
schools governed by communities, not by federal mandate.
Senators should not be misled by vague promises to do better as King offered
at a recent hearing. John King is the wrong candidate and he will follow the
failed strategies of Mr. Duncan. We strongly urge you to reject his
nomination and recommend to President Obama that he nominate a candidate who
will bring a progressive perspective to the department as it implements the
Every Student Succeeds Act.
Signatures:
(Individuals)
Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor & Professor of Linguistics (Emeritus), MIT
Naomi Klein, Award-winning journalist and author
Diane Ravitch, Research Professor, New York University
Jonathan Kozol, National Book Award-winning author
Deborah Meier, Senior Scholar, New York University and 1987 MacArthur Fellow
Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate
Lucas Neff, Actor
Karen Lewis, President of the Chicago Teachers Union
Jeff Sharlet, Associate Professor of English, Dartmouth College
Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Assistant Professor, Center for African American
Studies, Princeton University
Carla Shedd, Assistant Professor of Sociology & African American Studies,
Columbia University
Alfie Kohn, Acclaimed author on education
Nikhil Goyal, Author of the book Schools On Trial and Forbes 30 Under 30
honoree
Linda Nathan, Senior Lecturer, Boston University
Steve Cohen, Lecturer, Tufts University
Corey Robin, Professor of Political Science, Brooklyn College and the CUNY
Graduate Center
Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Professor emerita, Lesley University
Mary Beth Tinker, Free speech activist
Andrew Hartman, Associate Professor, Illinois State University
Henry Giroux, Professor of English and Cultural Studies, McMaster University
Stephen Krashen, Professor Emeritus, University of Southern California
Peter McLaren, Distinguished Professor in Critical Studies, Chapman
University
Mark Naison, Professor of History, Fordham University
Robert Buchanan, Undergraduate Faculty, Goddard College
Eva Swidler, Undergraduate Faculty, Goddard College
Lois Weiner, Professor of Education, New Jersey City University
Lawrence Brown, Assistant Professor, School of Community Health and Policy,
Morgan State University
Jeanette Deutermann, Founder of Long Island Opt Out and parent
M. Zachary Mezera, Executive director of the Providence Student Union
Israel Munoz, Co-founder of the Chicago Student Union
Carol Burris, Executive Director of the Network for Public Education
Raynard Sanders, Radio host of The New Orleans Imperative
Howie Hawkins, 2014 Green Party candidate for NY Governor
Brian Jones, 2014 Green Party candidate for NY Lieutenant Governor
Benji Cohen, Doctoral history student, University of Virginia
Brian LeCloux, Wisconsin high school psychology teacher
Doug Henwood, Journalist and NYC public school parent
Liza Featherstone, amNY columnist, educator and NYC public school parent
Julian Vasquez Heilig, Professor of Education, California State University
Sacramento
Wayne Au, Associate Professor of Education, University of Washington,
Bothell
Jeff Bryant, Associate Fellow at Campaign for America's Future
Arnold Dodge, Associate Professor/Chair, Department of Educational
Leadership and Administration, Long Island University Post
Anthony Cody, Author and educator
Lisa Edstrom, Brooklyn parent and educator
Rita Green, Alaska, Oregon, WA, Seattle/King County NAACP Education Chair
Nancy K. Cauthen, Sociologist
Jia Lee, Educator and 2016 UFT presidential candidate
Julie Cavanagh, Educator and 2013 MORE/UFT presidential candidate
Michael Klonsky, Executive Director at The Small Schools Workshop and
educator
Monty Neill, Executive Director of the National Center for Fair & Open
Testing (FairTest)
Jason Endacott, Assistant Professor of Secondary Social Studies Education,
University of Arkansas
Chris Goering, Associate Professor, English Education, University of
Arkansas
Lisa Rudley, Executive Director and Founding Member, NYS Allies for Public
Education
Meg Norris, Founder/Director of Opt Out Georgia
Bianca Tanis, NYS Allies for Public Education
Katie Zahedi, NYS Allies for Public Education
(Organizations)
The Network for Public Education
New York State Allies for Public Education
Change the Stakes
New York City Opt Out
NYCpublic
Save Our Schools
Long Island Opt-Out
Parents Across Rhode Island
Opt Out Georgia
Time Out From Testing
Badass Teachers Association
Network for Public Education Action
Philly Neighborhood Networks
The Opt Out Florida Network
The North Country Alliance for Public Education
National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest)
United Opt Out National
Half Hollow Hills Teachers' Association
Teaching, Not Testing: A New Narrative for Education
Citizens for Public Schools, Massachusetts
Rethinking Schools
Ben Norton is a politics staff writer at Salon. You can find him on Twitter
at @BenjaminNorton [9].
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
Report typos and corrections to 'corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx'. [10]
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.[11]
Source URL:
http://www.alternet.org/education/why-noam-chomsky-and-education-activists-a
re-warning-obamas-pick-education-secretary-could
Links:
[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/ben-norton
[2] http://www.salon.com
[3]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/03/03/activists-urg
e-senate-not-to-confirm-obamas-pick-for-new-education-secretary/
[4]
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2014/04/inbloom_to_shut_down
_amid_growing_data_privacy_concerns.html
[5] http://www.politico.com/story/2015/02/pearson-education-115026
[6]
http://www.amazon.com/Schools-Trial-Creativity-Educational-Malpractice/dp/03
85540124
[7]
http://www.salon.com/2016/02/25/another_common_core_disaster_corporate_educa
tion_reformer_john_king_is_exactly_the_wrong_man_to_be_secretary_of_educatio
n/
[8] http://www.help.senate.gov/about/members
[9] http://twitter.com/benjaminnorton
[10] mailto:corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Typo on Why Noam Chomsky and
Education Activists Are Warning That Obama's Pick for Education
Secretary Could Be Disastrous
[11] http://www.alternet.org/
[12] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
