Common Core education standards will face even more resistance with the Tuesday night appointment of President Donald Trump’s second-highest Department of Education official.
Trump nominated Mitchell Zais to the role of deputy secretary of education under Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, The Washington Post reported Oct. 4. Zais previously served as state superintendent of education in South Carolina.
Public charter schools in South Carolina increased by 78 percent during Zais’ tenure and the number of students attending the schools went up by nearly twice that rate. Students enrolled in online classes also jumped by 130 percent.
Prior to his service as state superintendent, Zais was president of Newberry College in South Carolina for 10 years and a U.S. Army infantry soldier for 31 years, retiring as Brigadier General.
Common Core remains a divisive topic in education. Forty-two states and Washington, D.C., have adopted Common Core. But not all of these states have the same curriculum and standards. For instance, while 28 states adopted Common Core State Standards for fourth grade math word-for-word and 20 states did the same for fourth grade English language and arts, the remaining Common Core-participating states made major or minor revisions to certain standards.
“Dr. Zais has spent the majority of his life in service to our country–from his 31 years as a solder in the Army to his tireless work on behalf of students as both a college president and superintendent of education,” said DeVos to The Daily Caller News Foundation. “He has a unique skillset that will be a tremendous asset as we work to give every child in America equal access to a great education. It is my hope that the Senate will act quickly to confirm him.”
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