Obama & Schooling: Two Fact Patterns
by Frederick M. Hess • Jul 1, 2011 at 7:38 am
Cross-posted from Education Week
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ShareIn recent weeks, some observers have repeatedly indicated surprise at big developments in edu-politics that should not have been surprising. Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott withdrew from CCSSO. Sec. Duncan's chest-thumping talk on conditional NCLB waivers provoked backlash in the commentariat and a smackdown by House Education Chair John Kline. Idaho told ED it's going to ignore elements of NCLB, basically asking, "What are you going to do about it, huh?" Despite Duncan's gambits and threats, even the most reality-resistant now acknowledge that NCLB/ESEA reauth is going nowhere until 2013. GOP front-runner Mitt Romney, at a New Hampshire town hall, offered up a convoluted blast at the Obama administration for trying to direct school curricula from Washington. Tea Party groups and Grover Norquist have expressed concerns about the Common Core.
All of these developments should've been largely predictable, but each has been accompanied by head-
