GOP Candidates Take on the Department of Education
The recent debate among candidates for the Republican nomination for President has raised anew the proper role of the Federal government in our schools. Several candidates, including Herman Cain and Texas governor Rick Perry, have decried the expansion of federal influence. Michelle Bachman has likewise been critical of NCLB, and has even called for the abolition of the Department of Education.
Blogger Bob Sikes is actively following the ins and outs of the Republican primary, and he sees a split developing within conservative ranks. George W. Bush, and his brother Jeb, have been major players in the education "reform" movement, which means they have promoted NCLB and the Common Core standards. Rick Perry takes a divergent view. In an April interview in the National Review, Perry calls NCLB "a monstrous intrusion into our affairs." AsValerie Strauss describes, Perry has taken Texas on a different path for several
