The Constitution of the United States makes no mention or
reference to the education of America’s children. It is a surprising fact.
However the Tenth Amendment does state that any issues that are not covered by
the Constitution become the purview of the individual states (states rights).
Thus there are 50 state departments of education, 50 sets of requirements for
teacher certifications and 50 sets (at least) of state approved curricula. The
debate about Common Core has run head on to the last statement. In looking at the nomination of Betsy DeVos
as the new US Secretary of Education, it seems clear that the federal
government does want to get more involved with the education of America’s
children. This nomination seems even more puzzling when you consider the fact
that the President-elect will be looking for a US Supreme Court Justice to
succeed the late Antonin Scalia. Scalia was a “Strict Constructionist” and
believed in a literal interpretation of the Constitution rather than viewing
the Constitution as a living document that needs to change with the times. Can
we have it both ways? I don’t think so. If we want less federal government intrusion
in our lives (and the lives of our school age children), then we need to commit
to the right of the individual states to determine the direction of their public
schools. That means working together with parents, teachers and community
leaders to develop the best strategies that will ensure our children’s success
in school.
Best wishes for a Happy New Year
C.2016 J. Margolis
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