In U.S. News I take a look at the new education law signed this morning:
After years of debate, Congress managed to pass an overhaul of the 2001 No Child Left Behind education act and President Barack Obama signed it into law today. Pundits, advocates, and analysts are furiously debating what the new law means. But to fundamentally understand it you don’t have to be an education policy expert. Instead – and trust me this is a lot more fun – just watch the HBO show “Game of Thrones…”
…So for individual Americans, whether this law represents progress or not depends a lot on what side of our educational wall you happen to live on and where you go to school. That’s exactly the kind of randomness and inequity the federal government has traditionally tried to hedge against in education policy. Now, creating the conditions for it is heralded as a bipartisan breakthrough. And although you’d be excused for thinking otherwise given the craziness of the education debate, it’s not a fantasy show. For American students, especially the most disadvantaged among them, this is real life.
Tweet me your take on who is who in education policy Game of Thrones @arotherham. I didn’t read the books so I can’t tell if Arne Duncan is Jon Snow or Sansa Stark. David Cleary is Tywin Lannister though, right? Who are the White Walkers?