Dive Brief:
- U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has apologized for a comment about opposition to Common Core standards coming from "white suburban moms."
- In a meeting Friday, Duncan said opponents to Common Core standards include "white suburban moms who — all of a sudden — (discovered that) their child isn't as bright as they thought they were, and their school isn't quite as good as they thought they were."
- Duncan says he didn't choose his words carefully: "My point is that children from every demographic across this country need a well-rounded, world-class education and frankly we have challenges not just in our inner cities but in our suburban areas, too, and we need to have honest conversations about that."
Dive Insight:
Duncan undoubtedly wants publicity for Common Core standards, but this is certainly not the kind of publicity he sought. Facebook and Twitter lit up with attacks. There is even a whitehouse.gov petition to remove him as head of the Department of Education.