Emmett McGroarty, executive director of education at the American Principles Project, recently sat down with The Daily Caller to explain why the widespread adoption of the Common Core is not exactly a federal takeover, but it’s also not “state-led.”
His take: It’s a plan to bypass the legislative process and parent’s authority in order to push the agenda of a few trade-corporations and progressive-minded elitists, with the help of the federal government and money-hungry governors.
“It’s a brilliant plan,” McGroarty said. “The problem is that it is completely ungrateful to our constitutional structure and it shows gross disrespect for the people.”
Here are two arguments he outlined:
1. The Common Core standards were developed, funded and written by private associations and organizations – not the states.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has granted $30.4 million to The National Governor’s Association (NGA), Council of Chief State School Officials (CCSSO) and The Hunt Institute for Educational Leadership and Technology (Hunt Institute) to develop and implement the standards since 2008.
NGA and CCSSO are both private trade associations based in Washington, D.C. – neither has a legislative grant of authority.
Achieve, Inc., which was instrumental in writing the standards, was founded by NGA and business leaders in 1996 at a National Education Summit, and is also based in D.C. The Hunt Institute was founded at the close of Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr.’s fourth term in North Carolina to honor his work in education.
“It is just a gross distortion of reality to say that the interests of [Common Core supporters] Bill Gates or Exxon Mobile or Pearson publishing company or General Electric or the Chamber of Commerce, their interests are identical with parents interests,” McGroarty said. “Parents are the ones who know what’s best for their children and that’s just a fundamental right. They should be able to form their children’s futures.”
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