What's Up with Virginia's Next Secretary of Education - Aimee Guidera?

[Anonymous]

Why would Youngkin pick Aimee Guidera to be Virginia's next Secretary of Education? Her political party record seems mixed. While she has donated to Republicans in the past, in terms of federal education policy, she was a strong champion for President Obama's educaiton agenda during his Administration. In fact, the education organization she founded (DQC) was on the oppositive side of almost every federal Republican position during the reauthorizaiton of the No Child Left Behind Act that became the Every Student Succeeds Act. Her organization (DQC) was primarily staffed by Democrats.

Ms. Guidera now clams she is parent centered. However, both personally and through the organization she founded (DQC), she strongly opposed parents being able to opt out of testing and data collection activities. For instance - https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2021/12/22/student-data-collector-aimee-guidera-to-be-next-va-education-secretary/

Given her mixed political party record, why would Youngkin pick Ms. Guidera and why would Ms. Guidera want to work on educaiton issues for a Republican like Youngkin when her background suggests strong alignment with the federal education agenda of Democrats such as former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan?

[Anonymous]

Because maybe Youngkin is smart enough to realize that Virginia schools are high quality and he doesn't want to kill the golden goose? Those schools bring in a lot of smart immigrants and high-paid knowledge workers to VA.

They'll increase school choice a bit in VA, but they are just going to tinker around the edges. Why ruin a good thing? Plus, schools are still locally administered. The Governor has limited impact on day-to-day stuff.

Areas that will explore school choice are largely under-performing rural Red areas of the state, plus some of the poor urban areas in SoVA.

[Anonymous]

Youngkin hopefully isn't dumb enough to go full red in a purple state like Virginia.

[Anonymous]

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1022704.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1023082.page

[Anonymous]

Maybe he’s not the partisan hack people have painted him as? I’ll take it as a good sign.

[Anonymous]

Obama was anti teachers unions, pro privatization and pro charter schools, reflecting the ideology of his Silicon Valley and Wall Street financial backers. Once you understand that, it makes complete sense that Private Equity Youngkin would pick her.

[Anonymous]

So you're a Democrat complaining that the pick is too Democrat leaning to work for a Republican governor?

You'd complain if she was too Republican, now it's she's sometimes D sometimes R. You'd complain about Youngkin's pick one way or another.

Have you thought that not everyone is far right or far left? That there are many people squarely in the middle and that middle is what most Virginians want? And that maybe Youngkin actually went out there and spoke to people and heard that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you're a Democrat complaining that the pick is too Democrat leaning to work for a Republican governor?

You'd complain if she was too Republican, now it's she's sometimes D sometimes R. You'd complain about Youngkin's pick one way or another.

Have you thought that not everyone is far right or far left? That there are many people squarely in the middle and that middle is what most Virginians want? And that maybe Youngkin actually went out there and spoke to people and heard that.

This is a case where you put D or R aside because this is where the $ rules. This ain’t about political party. It’s about $.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So you're a Democrat complaining that the pick is too Democrat leaning to work for a Republican governor?

You'd complain if she was too Republican, now it's she's sometimes D sometimes R. You'd complain about Youngkin's pick one way or another.

Have you thought that not everyone is far right or far left? That there are many people squarely in the middle and that middle is what most Virginians want? And that maybe Youngkin actually went out there and spoke to people and heard that.

+100
I'm excited about Youngkin. He seems like he is really listening and is a good guy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Obama was anti teachers unions, pro privatization and pro charter schools, reflecting the ideology of his Silicon Valley and Wall Street financial backers. Once you understand that, it makes complete sense that Private Equity Youngkin would pick her.

Once you understand that Virginia isn’t the Brooklyn chapter of the DSA, it makes complete sense that Governor-elect Youngkin would pick someone that might be a consensus builder on one of the top issues of the election.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obama was anti teachers unions, pro privatization and pro charter schools, reflecting the ideology of his Silicon Valley and Wall Street financial backers. Once you understand that, it makes complete sense that Private Equity Youngkin would pick her.

Once you understand that Virginia isn’t the Brooklyn chapter of the DSA, it makes complete sense that Governor-elect Youngkin would pick someone that might be a consensus builder on one of the top issues of the election.

Virgina families who voted Youngkin on education are not interested in “innovation”. All they want is to have their public schools providing a quality, traditional education to their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obama was anti teachers unions, pro privatization and pro charter schools, reflecting the ideology of his Silicon Valley and Wall Street financial backers. Once you understand that, it makes complete sense that Private Equity Youngkin would pick her.

Once you understand that Virginia isn’t the Brooklyn chapter of the DSA, it makes complete sense that Governor-elect Youngkin would pick someone that might be a consensus builder on one of the top issues of the election.

Virgina families who voted Youngkin on education are not interested in “innovation”. All they want is to have their public schools providing a quality, traditional education to their kids.

They don’t want public schools defunded? Interesting…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obama was anti teachers unions, pro privatization and pro charter schools, reflecting the ideology of his Silicon Valley and Wall Street financial backers. Once you understand that, it makes complete sense that Private Equity Youngkin would pick her.

Once you understand that Virginia isn’t the Brooklyn chapter of the DSA, it makes complete sense that Governor-elect Youngkin would pick someone that might be a consensus builder on one of the top issues of the election.

Virgina families who voted Youngkin on education are not interested in “innovation”. All they want is to have their public schools providing a quality, traditional education to their kids.

They don’t want public schools defunded? Interesting…

They don’t want the schools defunded and they don’t want the police defunded. Interesting…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obama was anti teachers unions, pro privatization and pro charter schools, reflecting the ideology of his Silicon Valley and Wall Street financial backers. Once you understand that, it makes complete sense that Private Equity Youngkin would pick her.

Once you understand that Virginia isn’t the Brooklyn chapter of the DSA, it makes complete sense that Governor-elect Youngkin would pick someone that might be a consensus builder on one of the top issues of the election.

Virgina families who voted Youngkin on education are not interested in “innovation”. All they want is to have their public schools providing a quality, traditional education to their kids.

They don’t want public schools defunded? Interesting…

They don’t want the schools defunded and they don’t want the police defunded. Interesting…

Yeah. Then why would they support a governor who is pro-charter and pro-voucher?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obama was anti teachers unions, pro privatization and pro charter schools, reflecting the ideology of his Silicon Valley and Wall Street financial backers. Once you understand that, it makes complete sense that Private Equity Youngkin would pick her.

Once you understand that Virginia isn’t the Brooklyn chapter of the DSA, it makes complete sense that Governor-elect Youngkin would pick someone that might be a consensus builder on one of the top issues of the election.

Virgina families who voted Youngkin on education are not interested in “innovation”. All they want is to have their public schools providing a quality, traditional education to their kids.

They don’t want public schools defunded? Interesting…

They don’t want the schools defunded and they don’t want the police defunded. Interesting…

Yeah. Then why would they support a governor who is pro-charter and pro-voucher?

Because the alternative was to support a governor and party that think schools should be used as instruments for social engineering. They voted against the social engineering, but not for charters and vouchers.