Perhaps someone should e-mail that definition to the White House, because the Obama administration seems to be laboring under the misconception that "voluntary" is synonymous with strong-arming, blackmail and coercion.
The latest attempt to redefine the word concerns our education system. It began with the Race to the Top competition, which, announced in July 2009, offered $4.35 billion in federal funds to "worthy" school systems. The catch: The school systems had to adopt national standards created by the Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers. Initially, only two states, Texas and Alaska, decided not to take part because they disagreed with the national standards requirement. As Texas Governor Rick Perry said at the time, the requirement "is an effort to undermine states' authority to determine how their students are educated, and is clearly aimed at circumventing laws prohibiting national standards." Since then, other states have expressed concerns that the national standards are not up to par with theirs; both Virginia and Minnesota have already withdrawn from the competition for precisely that reason.
True to form, the Obama administration, when faced with the prospect of dissent, is now resorting to coercion. A recent "blueprint" issued by the Department of Education outlines an overhaul of No Child Left Behind, including the federal government's intention to make receipt of $14.5 billion in Title I funds dependent on the state's adoption of national standards. Of course, the blueprint also stresses participation in the program will be ... "voluntary."
