Getting too deep into guessing Obama's intentions for ed policy a week or two before he picks his Education Secretary is, well, just pointless. But let's frame the question properly at least. Obama sees himself as a pragmatic, centrist technocrat, although we'd all have to admit he's an unusually charismatic one.
The question is, what's the pragmatic, centrist position on education?
I'd certainly argue that our ed policy, as practiced by the government and elucidated by think tanks for the past eight years, has been highly ideological, driven by ideas, not evidence or results. Or, particularly, driven by unproven ideas about certain kinds of evidence. It has been driven by a partisan strategy to eviscerate traditional Democratic constituencies and policy points and create a permanent Republican majority.
Of course, people who disagree with me feel that my positions are radical, ideological, partisan, etc., and they're the level-headed centrists.
The question is, where does Obama find the pragmatic center? So far, it feels like a lot closer to my point of view, but the big shoes are still to drop. We shall see.
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