Plants vs. "Reformies": The Educational Monopoly that Keeps Coming Back from the Dead

The Common Core is Plants vs. Zombies reincarnated.  No matter how close to dead the toxic Core seems, it keeps rising up and rearing its ugly head.  Given this scenario, I will cast my lot with the plants.  Call me grassroots.

It is no small wonder how tenaciously the Core clings to life.  Gates has sunk so much money into the Core's formation and propagation, millions upon millions in grant money to influential organizations and advocacy groups.   Rockefeller gave free lamps to the public as a means of ensuring dependence upon his oil (perhaps, snake oil instead of kerosene).  I don't approve of Common-Core Standards with its Octopus-like tentacles any more than Standard Oil.  I'd venture to say the Core will be Gates most expensive mistake yet...if it would just die a natural death.     

Gates has been wrong before.  He claimed the superiority of small schools over large schools.  He's advocated building a plane in mid-air.  Can we just all agree that is not a very good idea? Can we all agree that Gates' peculiar genius and generosity are best applied to fields other than education? 

Yet, the Core keeps raising its ugly, "tweaked," "rebranded," or whatever you want to call it, head--just like a zombie in a less-than-B-rated film.  How much longer can this go on?  If you have millions, can you buy a market for a product no one really wants?  Can you buy the support of those taking your money and hope they can then bully others to get on board?  For how long will you flood the public with propaganda? 

I don't mind high standards, but I do not think they need to be the same in all states.  That is un-American.  We do not need to march in lockstep in the good old U.S.A.  I have grown fond of reserved powers.  No one state or group of persons has a monopoly on the best educational practices.   Monopolies are illegal in the business world.  Monopolies should not exist for educational standards either.  Let the process be democratic and reflect local values.   Education cannot be for sale, any more than a human soul.  It is a sacred cornerstone of our democracy and it must be defended as such.  Whether you regard the Core as a Zombie or not, don't let it eat your brains!