Today’s editorial from the Washington Times highlights problems associated with top down government intervention in education.

When Jimmy Carter opened the Department of Education, Uncle Sam was supposed to be just a financier doling out money to schools. Federal law prohibited the department from writing the curriculum or selecting “instructional materials.” Things began to change with the adoption of President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” law, which opened the door for the feds to start dictating standards to local communities. The White House is now taking the next step by offering $4 billion in “Race to the Top” stimulus money to bribe states into embracing decisions made by a central committee.  Common Core is a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching guidelines and assessments that transfers control of what is being taught in local schools away from teachers, parents and administrators and hands it to a remote bureaucracy. Federal officials will eventually take charge.

The editorial also mentioned a plight of a teacher:

Last week, Ellie Rubenstein, a fourth-grade public school teacher, resigned her position in a YouTube video that decried the push toward centralization. “Raising students’ test scores on standardized tests is now the only goal, and in order to achieve it, the creativity, flexibility and spontaneity that create authentic learning environments have been eliminated,” said Ms. Rubenstein. “Everything I loved about teaching is extinct. The curriculum is mandated.” The video caught fire online and went viral, with many teachers expressing their agreement with Ms. Rubenstein. “Unless you are a ‘yes man,’” she explained, “you will soon find out that your only choice is to become one, or leave.”

More centralization simply means more harm to K-12 education. I have no idea if Ms. Rubenstein is a capable teacher or not, but I like her spunk!  I hope she decides to stay in education, just find another school. Decentralization allows parents and teachers to find schools that best meet their needs, NOT THE GOVERNMENT’S NEED.