Expect More Federal Control of Education with Obama's New Education Chief
President Obama’s naming of John B. King, Jr. (shown) to lead the federal Department of Education, replacing Arne Duncan, vividly illustrates not only his philosophy about “education,” but also his lack of respect for Congress.
The president will not submit King’s name to the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate for confirmation. Instead, King will serve as acting or interim secretary of education. This will avoid Senate committee hearings likely to be contentious over Obama education policies such as Race to the Top, the frequent testing of students, and the controversial Common Core “standards.”
This is, of course, an indication of the disrespect Obama holds for the constitutional doctrine of checks and balances, or at least any checks on his power coming from the legislative branch.
Thomas Dee, a professor of education at Stanford, noted this was not new, and it is not all Obama’s doing. He...
