There are more than two factors to consider when running a vast country, and one of them includes education. How will Trump’s views on education and his pick for secretary of education affect Coventry High School in the near future?
Last month, Donald Trump shocked the world, and a number of political experts, by beating Hillary Clinton in the dramatic 2016 presidential election. People across the nation have been protesting the results over the fact that Trump has promised to deport undocumented immigrants. Many more Americans are afraid that women’s’ rights will take a step back due to his alleged treatment of women. These two factors were the main topics debated over in this year’s election. However, some are beginning to ask: How is Trump going to handle everything else? There are more than two factors to consider when running a vast country, and one of them includes education. How will Trump’s views on education and his pick for secretary of education affect Coventry High School in the near future?
The first aspect that Trump wants to change is the PARCC test and Common Core. During Barack Obama’s presidency, the curriculum had begun to be implemented into school systems, including CHS. The test and curriculum are designed to challenge students’ thinking to make them better suited for the real world. The PARCC in particular is much more structured towards the SAT, unlike the NECAP test established during George W. Bush’s presidency, of which many districts have already abandoned. It is also geared towards making almost every district in the U.S. learn exactly the same curriculum, or “nationalize” it, in other words.
In the past, CHS students have voiced their opinion about the changes. The overall consensus seems to be that both the test and curriculum are too challenging, with oddly-worded questions asking too much of them. Interestingly, Trump seems to have similar opinions. Last year on Fox News, he was quoted saying, “Common Core is a very bad thing. I think that it should be local education.” He then went on to criticize Jeb Bush as well, who had supported Common Core standards and wanted to continue them. It was one of the reasons why he received little support in his campaign. Trump has not said much on the subject since then, but many students would be happy to hear that Washington may not have as much control over what students learn in the future. With a Republican running the country, states’ rights will generally be upheld, so the states will make decisions on education instead.
In addition, another possible change for CHS includes the idea that public schools may receive less funding due to Trump’s belief that competition will strengthen the economy. He is against the fact that teachers across America are often involved in labor unions. In his book The America We Deserve, he writes, “With more than 85% of their soft-money donations going to Democrats, teachers’ unions know they can count on the politician they back to take a strong stand against school choice.” Trump claims he is fighting for more school choice by giving more money to charter schools. “Our public schools are capable of providing a more competitive product than they do today. Look at some of the high school tests from earlier in this century and you’ll wonder if they weren’t college-level tests. And we’ve got to bring on the competition -open the schoolhouse doors and let parents choose the best school for their children,” Trump says in his book.
How much CHS’s funds will be cut is still to be determined, but experts believe that the more a school is struggling already, the more prone they are to getting cut even further. Many are highly concerned about this issue.
In other news, Trump has chosen Betsy DeVos as the Secretary of Education for his cabinet. Many would describe her as a pretty typical Republican. She is from Michigan, very wealthy, and supports the exact same aspects of education listed above. On the labor union issue in particular, not only does she strongly dislike them, but she has gone out of her way in the past to fight against them by creating counter-organizations.
The American Federation of Teachers disagree, claiming that she stands for exactly the opposite of what education should stand for in America. They fear that she can and will defund struggling public schools almost to the point of bankruptcy. They are also appalled at the fact that she has no experience with sending her own children to public schools, limiting her sympathy and understanding for so many families in America. Randi Weingarten, president of the AFT, had this to say about her: “In nominating DeVos, Trump makes it loud and clear that his education policy will focus on privatizing, defunding and destroying public education in America. Every American should be concerned that she would impose her reckless and extreme ideology on the nation.”
Overall, there does seem like there will be some change in Coventry High School’s policy. Common Core and PARCC may disappear or be replaced, and there may be more budget cuts to come. Despite critics’ views about Betsy DeVos, it does seem like she and Trump are on the same page, ready to put their plans into action.
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