I cut my racist grass yesterday. It was all the same color of money. How horrible.

Common Core SUCKS! It is one of the most Communist things about our Government right now! Of course CC is for "The Good of the People" That saying alone is enough to gag a maggot

While I agree with most of the article and the opposition to Common Core, the article's title is misleading and overstated. Perhaps the same overstatement comes from the media lashing out at Libertarians, but I don't endorse the practice.

Arne just pointed out that past standardized testing was biased to English speaking students (and perhaps against mentally handicapped? What?). He stops well short of calling this racism.

On the other side, I wonder if it is a problem at all. So what if kids that speak Spanish score lower? Kids who speak Hindi and Chinese don't seem to have the same issue. How about instead of Common Core we spend 10% of the funds on optional after school catchup classes, and leave the tests alone? This might also save
money in rebroadcasting the same shows in Spanish.

If I didn't have to hear "to continue in Spanish", in Spanish every time I call for phone support from a computer before I die, I'll be satisfied.

We are watching the degeneration of a word, richrobinson. "Damned" used to mean that your soul was going to Hell; it was a dire word to use. Now it means you stubbed your toe.

We will see the day when "racist" becomes a mild explicative, unfettered from its origin. We will hear talk of someones 'racist car' that broke down on the way to work or a 'racist strawberry' that was mushy, down at the bottom of the basket.

Perhaps, instead of resisting this degeneration, we should apply our verbal jujitsu in the direction of the momentum and help it along.

Jan, has a racist pile of twigs to dispose of this morning

When the federal government's Dept. of Education has actually driven the smarts of our youth in the wrong direction, would you not expect some intelligent individuals to stand against it? I guess I must just be a racist. Bill Gates should try Common Core on his children before funding it and so they (the government) can shove it down our throats. Bill is white isn't he? Then how can I be a racist?

In all actuality, I see that Common Core (and the DOE) are there to insure we have education disparity between the races, the classes, and that some of them remain exactly where they are. How else could we justify having a such a big government to control things if everybody was equal? Could we justify having a big government if everyone had the same smarts? Would we need a department of the government to hold students back if too many of them got too smart?

Perhaps I would have been clearer had the original statement been 'The Department of Education does not have or run any schools'.

Every time I read or hear of that stupid race card being pulled to control people, I want to use the word "libtard" in a sentence.
There.
My work here is done.

The Military and Merchant Marine Academies are funded by and have oversight from the Pentagon, but are essentially separate entities. (Not quite private, but not quite governmental either.). The overseas schools are administered by State without any input from Department of Education.

If we wish to improve the educational system it is a no brainer. Shut down the Fed Dept. of Education and turn education of our children back to the local Gov'ts and parents. Teach, reading, writing, math, science, rather than indoctrinate. Test to appraise what has been learned. Keep teachers who are teaching and remove those with an ideology.

This is just another "red flag" word used by Progressives, but it has become so overused that the original meaning of the word is lost, and the label doesn't mean much to more than a small element of the public.

Actually, it does. The military academies, and some K-12 schools overseas for military dependents and embassy children.

the only thing you can say about this guy is that he is a dunce. he is intent on further destroying the minds of the youth of the country.

When does the word "racist" become meaningless. There are still minorities in this country that suffer true racism. To over use the word and to use it in such a ridiculous way just makes more and more people tune it out when they hear it. Some black leaders on the left should denounce this stupidity.

Pardon my ignorance, but I wasn't even aware you could opt out.

On the one hand, I say: good for civil disobedience!

On the other, I say: this is a prelude for gestappo/KGB here in the USSA.

He probably attended public school after 1970.

Yep, best defense word of the Obama era, next will be "sexist" for Hillary.

Seems to me that Secretary Duncan has graduated from his own Common Core program and his indoctrination has been complete. It is ultimately the parents' obligation to see to it their children are educated, with our without the Common Core.

REALLY?????? This is the best we can come up with while education swirls down the tube!!! VERY sad, But, I guess if you say stupid stuff like this you don't have to address the real problems.

I love when you get fired up, Zen.
Apparently, he thinks he's the sole person who has any say in what our children are indoctrinated with. And knows what a racist is.
NOT!!!!!

Ahhh, now there is the crux of the problem... Why...

That's a new one. Racist? Why? Because the proponent of the policy these parents are opting out of, happen to be black? Or does he now admit that Common Core is about teaching white people to want to darken their skin in solidarity?

A 'master' over the masses appointed by a chosen one.

I completely oppose the boycotts, but I don't get how this is about race at all. I don't just disagree with the point about race but I can't even explain how it relates to race as all. The boycotters are not stopping minorities from taking the test or stopping the federal gov't from allocating tax dollars to schools with minorities. It seems like Duncan is shoehorning race into it.

Of course...silly me!