By: Jan Greenhawk
This article was originally posted in the Easton Gazette, a CDM property and Colorado Free Press sister site.
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It's been reinforced in the weeks after Trump's overwhelming election win that he is not afraid to court controversy and think outside the box on his decisions. Almost every cabinet appointment outside Robert Kennedy Jr. took many people, even Trump supporters, by surprise. With every appointment, the sound of progressives losing their minds has been astounding. Establishment Republicans are almost as loud as they wonder what Trump is "up to."
The latest appointment of Linda McMahon as Secretary of Education follows the same pattern. I'll admit, her name was not on my list of possible candidates. I thought he might pick Oklahoma State Superintendent of Schools Ryan Walters, a man who has successfully fought against the woke agenda and the unions who promote it. Tiffany Justice, head of the parental rights group Moms for Liberty, was also floated as a possibility.
But, as usual, Trump's agenda and the qualifications of those who will fight for it, is completely different from what is expected.
That's where Linda McMahon comes in. Here is Trump's statement on his nominee:
The announcement focuses on the education background of McMahon, but the bottom line with Trump is her loyalty and friendship with him and her toughness. Aside from the details on the nomination announcement, McMahon, who was the wife of WWE President Vince McMahon, was a professional wrestler and then helped her husband run the enormously successful entertainment business. She ran for Senate in Connecticut twice but was defeated. From 2017 to 2019 she worked with the small business administration. She currently serves on his transition team.
McMahon's nomination is in line with Trump's other nominations as many are viewed as outsiders and not part of the Washington D.C. establishment. This is what Trump promised throughout his campaign.
Of course, those in the education establishment, especially the unions, will be working 24/7 to disgrace and demean McMahon. They are screaming that she doesn't have the required experience in education to do the job well:
Shaun Harper, another elitist professor of education, public policy and business at the University of Southern California, told the Los Angeles Times: "America's schoolchildren and college students deserved an Education Secretary who brings deep education experience to the role."
"Instead, they got a former World Wrestling Entertainment executive. This is embarrassing and a slap in the face to our nation's talented educators."
Shaun's snobbish attitude and lack of inclusivity is astounding. By the way, Shaun, how long has it been since you taught a public-school class? Oh wait, you have NEVER worked in the public school system and yet you consider yourself an "expert." That might be the actual slap in the face of talented educators.
Shaun Harper, PhD | USC Rossier School of Education
And this from Becky Pringle, President of the billion-dollar money laundering organization, National Education Association:
"By selecting Linda McMahon, Donald Trump is showing that he could not care less about our students' futures," Becky Pringle, the president of the National Education Association, said in a statement. She added, "McMahon's only mission is to eliminate the Department of Education and take away taxpayer dollars from public schools."
Of course, in the union's mind, sending funding to state and local districts that doesn't include the left's beloved woke agenda would be disaster. Becky will miss those kickbacks.
However, if you look at what has happened to the public school system in the last twenty years, one can conclude that the education establishment with all their "experience" hasn't improved the academic performance of children in this country. National Assessment of Educational Progress scores show that scores are basically flat OR in the case of 2019 to 2022, are worse:
To be fair, we had the Covid pandemic in the middle of these years. Students suffered after schools closed and many went to a complete virtual school format. However, even up to that point, more than half of the nation's school students were not proficient in math, reading and other subjects. In reading, scores have steadily declined since 2013.1
Part of the problem is that the Department of Education, with the compliance of the large teachers unions, have taken their focus off of academics and teaching and concentrated instead of expensive social programs that show no positive effect on student performance, and which are not supported by most parents and community members. They have dismissed accountability of teachers for the success of their students. In some cases, they have made students less resilient and willing to learn.
One of McMahon's tasks will likely be the "dismantling" of the Department of Education. This also has the education establishment in an uproar. They have started spreading the rumor that without the Department of Education, special education and Title 1 students will no longer receive the services they need. The delivery of special education services is mandated by Federal law and cannot be abolished.
A History of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Title 1 is also a federally mandated program that services high poverty schools and their students. It is also a social program as it provides a variety of services that support academics but are not direct delivery of academics. At any rate, this is a program that will not be going away even if the Department of Education does.
What Is a Title 1 School? A Guide to Funding Benefits & Requirements in 2024 | Research.com
In keeping with Trump's overall philosophy, education funds would go directly from the federal government to states and local education agencies. This would allow local control of how funds are directed into programs that may actually work to increase student academic performance. Rather than impede funding to local districts, this may actually make fund delivery more efficient.
Another emphasis of the Trump administration is school choice. McMahon has long been a proponent of school choice. Of course, this also angers the unions as they want to have the monopoly on educating our children regardless of whether they are successful or not.
Whether McMahon is successful or not as Secretary of Education will be determined over the next couple of years. At the very least, she, along with other picks, will bring change and a new viewpoint into the position. Just like the American voter asked and Trump promised.
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