COMMON CORE WATCH: Duncan, Kerry see new terrorist threat in White Suburban Moms
No sooner had Arne Duncan voiced his attack on "White Suburban Moms" than satiric responses began pouring in. Duncan's version of reality came out in comments about the growing national opposition to Common Core testing and the claims by the Duncan administration, based on Common Core test results, that the majority of American public schools are failing. Veterans of the struggle against corporate "school reform" noted that this isn't the first time that the word "terrorist" was used against critics of national policy. At the beginning of No Child Left Behind, George W. Bush's first Secretary of Education, Rod Paige, called the national teachers union a "terrorist threat." The Obama administration's Race To The Top program is far worse in every way than anything George W. Bush could get away with, and that discussion is just beginning...
Thanks to Students Last for the above graphic.Here is one satiric response from the Blog "Students Last":
White Suburban Moms Declared A Terrorist Group
Anti-Common Core terrorism will not be toleratedWashington D.C. - Citing national security concerns, "white suburban moms" have been classified as a terrorist group.
The announcement was made by Secretary of State John Kerry at a press conference held late Sunday evening. In an unusual move, Kerry stood alongside Secretary of Education Arne Duncan who was a key player in the decision. "It has been well-established that the poor state of public education is a grave national security risk. Given that the Common Core Standards (CCS) are the only acceptable solution to this security crisis and given that a good deal of the opposition to the CCS comes from these mothers, it has become obvious that the White Suburban Moms (WSM) are a threat to our national security."
Several reporters expressed concern that the administration's position was extreme. Duncan responded, "Unusual? Yes. Extreme? No. Have you seen these women when they attack? They are a voracious group. New York State Education Commissioner John King has tried to engage them on several occasions and each time he barely escaped with his life."
Although President Obama has not yet asked Congress for a declaration of war on the WSM, Secretary Kerry wouldn't rule it out. "We are looking to end this peaceably but at the same time, we are keeping all our options open. In many ways, it reminds me of Syria."
Asked if the moms who voiced complaints about the Common Core would be considered enemy combatants, Kerry looked at Duncan who responded, "Perhaps."
One such potential enemy combatant is Mary Bellmar of Long Island, New York. Mother of three and a part-time real estate agent, Mary began to grow concerned about the new standards when her sixth grade daughter declared that she hated school. "I spoke to her teacher about it and the woman told me the new standards coupled with testing pressures have led many students to make the same declaration. So I decided to get involved."
She began attending local school board and PTA meetings. "I spoke out against the Common Core Standards because they are untested. Is the government going to come after me for voicing my opinion?"
As if in response to Mary's concerns, Kerry closed his press conference with these words, "We are willing to negotiate with the WSM but we are not against using force if necessary. The Common Core will not be stopped. And these moms should know that Guantanamo Bay is capable of handling thousands of detainees if it comes to that. We're hoping, of course, that it won't come to that but well you never know."
Reality Alert: Interested in how we came to write this? Go to: Arne Duncan: 'White Suburban Moms' Upset That Common Core Shows Their Kids Aren't 'Brilliant' and U.S. Education Reform and National Security Posted by Students Last at 8:04 PM
