OBAMA FAILING ON EDUCATION – AT 9:48 A.M. ET:  Another poll just out shows the public turning against President Obama on education, an area he emphasized in his election campaigns.  From The Hill: 

Public support for President Obama’s education policies is plunging, according to a new survey.

Only 27 percent of people give Obama an “A” or “B” for his support of public schools, down 9 percent from last year, in a new poll from PDK/Gallup that was released Wednesday.

An equal amount of people — 27 percent — said Obama deserves a failing grade on education.

Fifty-six percent of respondents said they believe their local school board should have the greatest influence in deciding the curriculum. Only 28 percent of Democrats said the federal government should have the greatest control, while 45 percent of Democrats said the local school board should be in charge.

Republicans have criticized the Obama administration’s federal policies, including Race to the Top, saying Education Secretary Arne Duncan is trying to create a “national school board” rather than leaving education to states and localities.

“This administration has used the combination of No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, and waivers from No Child Left Behind to, in effect, turn itself into a national school board, making decisions that states and local communities ought to make for themselves,” said Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee ranking member Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.).

And, on the public's response to "Common Core":

The Gallup poll found that 81 percent of the pubic had heard of Common Core, with 60 percent opposing it. The most common reason cited for opposition was the belief that the standards limit the flexibility of teachers.

“Parents nationwide, including many in Indiana, are raising concerns the administration is attempting to force states to implement a national curriculum through the Common Core State Standards,” Rep. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.) said. “Reforming our nation’s education system to put power back in the hands of state and local leaders is long overdue.”

COMMENT:  There is a backlash building against "big education," the same kind of backlash we periodically have against "big business."  Indeed, education is a business.

There are now a number of organizations, interest groups, and citizens groups, taking a hard look at education, from pre-school to graduate school.  It's about time.  For too long we have allowed the education establishment and the education-journalism complex to lecture us on how we should run our lives, without many questions asked.

We might begin by asking why universities with multi-billion-dollar endowments should receive federal aid for their trendy courses in group studies and identity politics.  My view is that federal aid should be limited to science and engineering, and perhaps other areas in those small and community colleges that struggle financially and serve underserved populations.

August 20, 2014