Why Noam Chomsky and Education Activists Are Warning That Obama's Pick for Education Secretary Could Be Disastrous

Prominent defenders of public schools are warning the Senate not to confirm John King.

By Ben Norton

Leading progressive voices are warning that President Obama’s choice for education secretary could be a disaster.

An open letter to the U.S. Senate, published in the Washington Post on Thursday, asks lawmakers to reject the confirmation of John King as the new secretary of education.

King, the acting secretary of education, has a long history of supporting corporate-friendly education reforms, and has pushed for unpopular policies like more standardized testing and Common Core, which critics say are ineffective.