President Donald Trump has named more than half-a-dozen new members to the National Board for Education Sciences, drawing criticism, according to Science.
It notes that the NBES advises the Institute for Education Science of the US Department of Education. However, Science reports that critics argue that the newly appointed members have little expertise in the field and some have "heavy political or ideological baggage."
The appointees include John Yoo, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who served in the Justice Department during the Bush Administration and who has defended President Trump's actions during his impeachment and in his efforts to overturn the election, according to Science. It notes that other appointees include Michael Faulkender, an assistant secretary for economic policy at the Treasury Department, and Steve Hanke, an economist at Johns Hopkins University, among others.
Felice Levine, executive director of the American Education Research Association, tells Science that the lack of expertise is disappointing, especially as education has been disrupted during the coronavirus pandemic. "It's a sad commentary on this administration's lack of appreciation for how scientific knowledge can benefit the country," she adds.