By Tribune-Review

Published: Wednesday, December 5, 2012, 8:59 p.m.
Updated: Tuesday, February 19, 2013

By briefly quoting one critic of the national Common Core education standards, which are shaping curricula and tests for schoolchildren in Pennsylvania and across the nation, the Trib at least did more in the news story “Educators anxious about switch to Keystone Exams” (Nov. 20 and TribLIVE.com) than hundreds of newspapers that are simply parroting talking points of the shills for education nationalization.

Hoover Institution fellow Bill Evers, formerly an official of the U.S. Department of Education, is exactly right: The federal government's use of money and muscle to pressure states into a unitary Common Core mold violates federal law prohibiting federal dictation of curriculum. It also is the case that the Constitution assigns no power to Washington over education of the young, and therefore, under the 10th Amendment, such power is reserved to the states and the people.

When parents discover that the Common Core has further dumbed down the education of their children and that the federally financed tests are tainted by ideological agendas, where will they be able to go to seek redress of grievances? Good luck on securing a hearing from the national school board in D.C.

Robert Holland

Chicago

The writer is senior fellow for education policy at The Heartland Institute (heartland.org).

1. Another form of tyranny
2. A-R school security
3. More for transportation
4. Try to walk in his shoes
5. No school taxes for seniors
6. Already influenced
7. Wrong on boxing
8. Jeannette’s challenges
9. Top pick: Class act
10. Goodwill mission to Moore
11. Slap in teachers’ faces

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