How Sec. Duncan Helped the Teachers Unions Take Out Tony Bennett
by Frederick M. Hess • Nov 7, 2012 at 10:25 am
Cross-posted from Education Week
Cross-posted from Education Week
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In Indiana, all-world superintendent Tony Bennett lost last night--53 to 47. I'd like to find an eloquent way to say it, but I'm a simple guy: Bennett is a stud. He's also a good friend, and I'm not even going to try to pretend to be objective or dispassionate here. He's smart, passionate, and relentless. And, given that folks are likely to be clamoring for his services (including the state of Florida, which is desperately seeking a new chief), it's safe to say Bennett will be just fine.
Okay. Now, let's talk about why a rock-ribbed Republican state chief lost in deep red Indiana. (In Indiana, the state superintendent is elected and not appointed.) After all, Mitt Romney won the state by 10 points. There are two reasons. One, the unions painted a target on Bennett for his unapologetic support for school choice, accountability, and the rest. That's understandable enough. The second: the Common Core. More specifically, frustration among Tea Party conservatives that Bennett was championing an initiative that they've come to see as an Obama administration initiative (with its own derogatory name, "Obamacore"). One needs only to peruse conservative publications or e-mail blasts to realize how deeply this view has taken hold.
But wait, Common Core enthusiasts will protest: "This is a state-led effort." Well, maybe that's how it looks from one angle. When you talk to Republican legislators in red states, however, many think Obama and
