In King's view, parents and teachers have no right to advocate for their students, and should simply do as they're told by Pearson and Gates. They are not special interests, one must suppose, because they have all that money.
King is in their thrall, and can stand for 90 minutes and rhapsodize on how wonderful Common Core is. It's fabulous that two-thirds of our children are failing. Nothing meant anything until we introduced Common Core, and those of us who were educated before its inception did not know how to think critically and could not possibly know anything. It's vital that our children know how to think critically.
And by thinking critically, Reformy John King clearly means they should accept his edicts without question. Parents in Poughkeepsie asked tough questions, and pushed Reformy John off message. If only they'd been trained in critical thinking, they'd have been able to sit quietly, applaud wildly, and accept his corporate-sponsored, Pearson and Murdoch enriching message as gospel.
In Common Core, critical thinkers do not ever question the ability of corporations to enrich themselves at the expense of our children. They do not question authority figures explaining the wonders of reforminess. And they do not ever ask Reformy John King why he sends his own kids to schools that do not practice what he advocates for our children.
In the world of Reformy John King, anyone who veers from message is not thinking critically, is therefore a special interest and must be ignored. Sure, they can pay the King's salary, as all loyal subjects must do, but questioning the King? That's unheard of.
So New Yorkers, please follow Common Core, think critically, sit down, and shut up.
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