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Breitbart: Parents Groups Urge Trump to Appoint Anti-Common Core Education Secretary

November, 2016

Dr. Susan Berry of Breitbart News highlights the potential schism between parent supported anti-Common Core officials and the pro-Common Core, corpratist estabishment candidates to run the US Department of Educaation (USED). Here is an excerpt:

The grassroots groups have been fighting against federal intervention in education for years. They've activated email alerts in light of what has been released as Trump's short list of possible candidates for U.S. Education Department (USED) secretary. The list includes:

U.S. Rep. Luke Messer of Indiana, a supporter of school choice who backed Jeb Bush in the GOP primary and has been an ardent supporter of the new massive education law, Every Students Succeeds Act;
Former Florida education commissioner Gerard Robinson, who was also a member of Jeb Bush's Chiefs for Change and is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Eva Moskowitz, the pro-Common Core CEO and founder of Success Academy Charter Schools;
Michelle Rhee, the pro-Common Core former chancellor of Washington, D.C. public schools and the founder of Students First, an organization whose board of directors once included Common Core architect David Coleman and math standards writer Jason Zimba.
Tony Bennett, the ousted Indiana superintendent of public education who was investigated for fraud and resigned later as Florida commissioner of education;
Dr. Ben Carson, former neurosurgeon and 2016 GOP presidential candidate;
Williamson M. Evers, Hoover Institution education expert who has been vocal in his opposition to Common Core and federal intervention in education.

Dr. Carson has since declined a cabinet position and the only person on that list against Common Core is Bill Evers, who has been fighting it since 2011.

Parent group leader from across the nation are concerned and want to help President-elect Trump keep his promises to stop Common Core, make education local and decrease the size and scope of the US Department of Education:

"When Donald Trump talked on the campaign trail about 'the forgotten men and women' of America, many of us who have been fighting Common Core in the trenches felt like he was talking to us," says Heather Crossin of Indiana, who adds that many parents have lost a voice in their children's education.

"We are counting on President-elect Trump to stand up and fight for us against the powerful special interests, who not only profit off of Common Core but who pull the strings of the vast majority of politicians in both parties," she explains.
Dr. Karen Effrem of Florida also points to Trump's promise to end Common Core and make education local once again.

"Choosing pro-Common Core, establishment people like Tony Bennett, Michelle Rhee, or Eva Moskowitz would be a complete betrayal to those parents in every state who helped elect him," she says.

While on the campaign trail, Trump said Common Core is a "disaster" and that Washington, D.C. should leave education to states and local school districts. Most of Trump's recent discussion about education has been in the area of school choice.

Other strong candidates acceptable to parents include or shoulc include English Standards expert Dr. Sandra Stotsky, Dr. Peg Luksik, Dr. William Jeynes, and former Texas education Commissioner Richard Scott. More details about each are available HERE.

Please help Donald Trump remeber those "forgotten" parents that work to get him elected. Send a short note to the transition team at http://apply.ptt.gov/yourstory or tweet to @realDonaldTrump, @stevenkbannon and @transition2017 and include hashtags: #KeepYourPromises #DontForgetParents #EversforEd #StotskyforEd #LuksikforEd #JeynesforEd.

Thank you!