When Vice President Joe Biden and Education Secretary Arne Duncan expressed support for gay marriage in recent days, their candor underlined the calculated approach their boss has taken on the topic. As a candidate, Barack Obama opposed gay marriage. As President, he has performed an awkward straddle. Obama is counting on gay supporters for their votes and their money in November’s election. At the same time, he is asking them for patience as he stakes out a hazy position on a moral issue fraught with political peril.
President Obama announced on Friday his plan to offer relief to states that are chafing under the strict requirements of No Child Left Behind, the federal education standards championed by George W. Bush in 2002. The proposal would grant states waivers from some NCLB rules that officials have long complained are impossible to meet, including [...]
Education Secretary Arne Duncan came out swinging this week, when he attacked Rick Perry’s education record in Texas, saying that he feels “very, very badly for the children there.” But a few hours later, Duncan had moderated his attack line, in an interview with TIME’s Andrew Rotherham. When I asked Duncan about this dire assessment [...]
