Of Course Donald Trump Doesn’t Understand Common Core — Here’s Why


Republican front-runner Donald Trump has been very vocal about his disapproval of Common Core. While most of the Trump’s rhetoric has not been backed up by detailed policy papers – the Donald has remained concrete about dismantling the Common Core State Standards. He feels they are a disasters – and promises to abolish them once he is in the White House.

While Trump believes education should be at the local level, he will have no right – as President – to dismantle Common Core. In fact, Trump remains utterly ignorant on this issue – like many others, he blabs about in speeches and at debates. Trump’s campaign to eradicate this program may also have an adverse effect if any.

The fact is that Trump cannot end Common Core because it was not federally created. In fact, state boards of education and Governors voluntarily adopted these standards in math, reading, and language. Many states, however, chose not to adopt them as their right. This was reinforced by the passing of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act – which prevents the Secretary of Education to require states to adapt Common Core or other educational standards.

With Trump on the warpath – he feels that America’s weak educational results can only be improved by giving the power back to the local school districts. This, however, conflicts with existing research and findings – and that of every President for the last 40 years. Here is the Trumpster discussing his disapproval of Common Core and the Department of Education:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztNBIIDnk2s

From President Carter to President Reagan, the Common Core educational standards have been a part of the country for decades. While Reagan was initially not a fan of educational standards, it was his secretary of education, Terrell Bell that really opened his eyes. This was courtesy of his “A Nation at Risk” report back in 1983, which showed how several local controlled districts failed to enhance the educational experiences for many of its students. The report showed concrete evidence of students simply drifting through their school years – without any rigid courses that would prepare them for the job market or their futures.

With this in mind, will a return to the local districts improve or continue to deter educational results for students? Only time will tell.