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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I will withhold judgment until I see some actual policy, but consider me skeptical.

The fundamental problem with an education consultant selling data collection tools is that you get what you measure. So if her perspective is going to be more metrics, it will be absolutely critical that the *right* metrics are chosen. This is where the culture war will again wage.

There is no indication she is knowledgeable about curricula or pedagogy. If her solution is the apply saber metrics to public schools, we are in trouble. This could end up being the blind leading the blind.

It is, for example, 100% critical we continue commitments to improve equity in schools — so if her focus on metrics involves closing achievement gaps, great. That said, we don’t need metrics to tell us there are achievement gaps. As education secretary, what will be her policies to close them? And no, the answer isn’t charter schools. Charter schools can game metrics by being more selective about who they accept. So what you end up with is growing gaps between schools. Factor in the massive trail of corruption in charter schools — lots of flim flam artists in that space, lots of taxpayer waste — and this could end *very* badly.[/quote]

Charter schools were always Youngkin’s endgame. I’d also expect to see taxpayer subsidization of religious schools. He has no interest in improving the public schools whatsoever. That’s going to be a real shock to a lot of the MAGA parents when their mediocre, L/D kids aren’t offered a spot out and have to stay back in underfunded schools. [/quote]

Youngkin nominated Aimee Guidera as Secretary of Education.  Ms. Guidera has a long history of being a public school advocate with center-left groups.  Similar to President Obama and Clinton, Guidera has supported charter schools as well. Guidera was a strong ally of the Democrats in opposition to most conservatives during the last reauthorizaiton of the main federal K-12 law.  The organization she founded, DQC, is a well known primarily Democratically aligned organization at the federal level.  Guidera has a solid history of aligning with with anti-voucher groups and advocating for the Democrats for Education Reform agenda and initiatives such as Common Core.  Guidera's history suggests she is more aligned with never-Trumpers than MAGA types.  [/quote]

She’s a “school choice” advocate for a governor who wants to implement charters and vouchers.

[i]Aimee will be a critical partner in restoring expectations of excellence; overseeing a record education budget to invest in teachers, facilities and special education; [b]rolling out innovation lab and charter schools[/b]; and standing for a curriculum that prepares Virginia’s children for a dynamic future and removes politics from the classroom,” Youngkin said in a statement.

Guidera moved to Virginia in 1995 and her daughter attended Fairfax County Public Schools, Youngkin’s news release says.

“A nationally recognized leader, [b]Aimee is deeply respected for her distinguished career advocating for innovation and choice[/b], data-driven reform and high standards, and will apply these principles in order to implement the Day One Game Plan,” Youngkin said. 
[/i]
https://www.virginiamercury.com/blog-va/virginias-state-schools-superintendent-is-stepping-down/

Definitely not what VA needs. [/quote]

"School choice" in the education policy space does not equal being pro-voucher.  "School choice" can mean being for charters and magnet schools, but not for vouchers.  For instance, how the construct of "school choice" was meant during the Obama Administration.  President Obama advocated strongly for "school choice" options such as charters, but was opposed to vouchers.

Aimee Guidera's record is clear.  Guidera has a long history at the federal level of partnering with anti-school voucher organizations.  Furthermore, she advocated against parents being able to control their children's most sensitive data with both the government and private companies and advocated against parents being able to opt-out of initiatives they thought would have a negative impact on their children.

In addition, the organization she founded and led, DQC, disproportionally supports Democrats at the federal level.  Understand the concerns with Youngkin, but Guidera's history suggests there will be a difference between Youngkin's rhetoric and the genuine positions held by the staff he decides to place in key education positions.  [/quote]

Youngkin has brought on 3+ voucher advocates to guide his education plan. It’s disingenuous to say he’s not going to pursue it.

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