Okla. Supreme Court upholds Common Core repeal. July 15, 2014: The Oklahoma Supreme Court meets for a hearing closed to cameras in Oklahoma City. OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Legislature had the authority to repeal Common Core education standards for English and math in the state's public schools. The state's highest court took the action a little more than four hours after attorneys presented oral arguments in a lawsuit that challenged the Legislature's action.
The lawsuit alleged lawmakers violated the state Board of Education's constitutional authority over the "supervision of instruction in the public schools" when they repealed Common Core standards earlier this year. But the Supreme Court's 8-1 decision said the Legislature's action was not unconstitutional. The case was argued about a month before public school students across the state are scheduled to return to classrooms. The standards were scheduled to go into effect in the upcoming school year. Gov. Bobby Jindal's dishonesty on Common Core: Jarvis DeBerry.
There was a part in Gov. Bobby Jindal's anti-Common Core op-ed in USA Today that made me laugh out loud. See if you can figure out why. The governor writes, "It has become fashionable in the news media to believe there is a right-wing conspiracy against Common Core. The folks who think that need to get out more. The rebellion against federal government mandated testing is widespread and is led by parents of all stripes and political persuasions. " Do you see what made me laugh? That's a benefit, I suppose in having that piece published in USA Today.
The Louisiana House voted 71-17 Sunday for a pro-Common Core bill authored by state Rep. We have concerns with this bill. Still, chances are great that Jindal will veto it. We know what the concerns are. If the USA Today column is any guide, though, Jindal will ignore all the bipartisan support - both here and abroad -- that exists for Common Core and make it a point to say that some Democrats and liberals are also troubled by Common Core. Okla. Legislature repeals Common Core for Oklahoma schools.
Bill to Replace Common Core Headed to SC Governor’s Desk. The South Carolina House Tuesday passed a bill that would create a committee to review and replace national Common Core standards in the state before the 2015-16 school year. Gov. Nikki Haley’s spokesperson said the governor intends to sign the bill. State Sen. Wes Hayes (R-Rock Hill), chairman of the Senate Education Committee also said Haley is likely to sign the bill and may do so as soon as Friday. Common Core sets forth what K-12 math and English curriculum and tests must cover, and was heavily promoted by the Obama administrations.
The bill sparked a debate earlier this spring when the State Department of Education decided to withdraw from national Common Core tests in anticipation of legislative action. The bill, once signed into law, should clear any confusion caused by the conflicting orders. “A special assessment panel will be convened immediately upon passage of the bill to provide input for a new assessments system, and must seek public input,” Hayes said. South Carolina Drops Out of Common Core Testing Group. State legislatures see rise in bills targeting Common Core | MarylandReporter.
By Glynis Kazanjian Glynis@marylandreporter.com Word cloud from the results of a survey of teachers by the the Maryland State Education Association. State legislatures will double their efforts this year to change, slow down or outright repeal Common Core, the new standards-based education curriculum that 45 states and the District of Columbia began adopting in 2010. Several bills working their way through the Maryland General Assembly this session are part of this trend. In 2013 and in 2012, 20% of Common Core related bills in other states sought to change the controversial curriculum. Thatcher said the number of Common Core bills introduced in statehouses across the nation increased from a modest 42 in 2011 to what will likely be over 400 in 2014.
Bills seek to change state education department decisions Thatcher created a website that follows Common Core legislation on the state level. “This year it appears there is an aberration,” said Thatcher. Lawmakers also consider funding requests. States mull dropping Common Core. More than a dozen states are considering legislation to repeal their involvement in the Common Core State standards, responding to a surge of discontent from an unlikely coalition of conservatives, parents, unions, and teachers.
Last week, Indiana became the first state to repeal the testing standards, which were designed during President Obama’s first term to set high and consistent standards for students across the country. The state has chosen to replace the standards with its own set of tests after conservatives complained the Common Core exerted too much federal influence. Critics–like Utah’s governor, a Common Core supporter– say the repeal say this is just a political gesture and that Indiana’s standards are the same. “In essence, they’re saying they’re creating what’s called the Indiana Core.
It’s not the Common Core … but their standards are almost mirroring exactly what is commonly referred to as the Common Core standards,” Utah’s Republican Gov. Gary Herbert said. Community members rally in Owasso against Common Core - Tulsa World: Communities. Posted: Thursday, March 27, 2014 10:15 pm Community members rally in Owasso against Common Core By RHETT MORGAN World Staff Writer TulsaWorld.com | OWASSO — Parents and educators rallied against Common Core standards Thursday night at Friendship Baptist Church.
Speakers who included Kristal Picolet, the leader of Owasso Against Common Core, addressed a crowd of about 50 people for about two hours, detailing the group’s reasons for disagreement with the national education reform measure. An online service is needed to view this article in its entirety. You need an online service to view this article in its entirety. Need an account? Create one now. Nikki Jones, a prekindergarten teacher in Tulsa Public Schools, and Linda Murphy, a veteran educator and former Republican candidate for state superintendent, also made presentations that concluded with a question-and-answer session. Picolet, whose group has grown to more than 1,250 members in about three months, called Common Core a “train wreck.”
Michigan lawmakers balk at new Common Core-based standardized test. Lawmakers are balking at plans to give Common Core-based exams to kids in Michigan schools next school year, pushing for a pause of the tests expected to replace assessments the state has used for nearly 45 years. The legislative pushback against Gov. Rick Snyder, the state Education Department, business community and some education groups leaves in doubt what standardized test will be given to some 800,000 students in grades 3-8 and 11th.
And there’s little time to resolve the conflict before legislators finalize the next state budget in a month. At issue are plans to administer tests to align with new uniform national education standards known as Common Core. For almost four years, Michigan has participated in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, one of two broad groups of states developing companion tests to the Common Core standards. “I believe we’ll lose the waiver, and that will hurt kids,” he said. “Apparently, the Legislature doesn’t believe that.
Idaho's Fulcher: Follow Indiana's lead and drop Common Core. Monday’s decision by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence to sign legislation making his state the first to abandon adopting Common Core standards for K-12 schools was hailed Wednesday by Sen. Russ Fulcher. “I applaud Indiana Governor Mike Pence and the Indiana State Legislature for their decision to opt out of the federal Common Core education standards,” Fulcher said in a news release. “I believe these national standards strip decisions away from parents and teachers and are setting every public school on a path to mediocrity. “As Governor of Idaho, I will push for legislation that allows Idaho to opt out of this top-down, one size fits all federal program. Fulcher, R-Meridian, has made reversing Common Core a key issue in his challenge to Republican Gov.
In Sunday’s Idaho Statesman, Fulcher and Otter each made their case for and against the standards. Click here to read’s Otter’s op-ed. Click here to read Fulcher’s op-ed. Even This Left-Wing State Has Issues With Common Core. Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, widely viewed as one of the nation’s most liberal governors in one of the nation’s most liberal states, will consider signing bills by a Democratic legislature curbing the reach of the Common Core education standards.
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley speaks during a general session at the California Democrats State Convention on Saturday, March 8, 2014, in Los Angeles. (AP/Jae C. Hong) The state Senate this week gave final passage on three bills that address concerns over implementaiton of the standards. In February, when O’Malley was at the White House for a National Governors Association gathering, he said the only dispute about Common Core is the implementation, not the standards themselves. Common Core standards were developed by the NGA and the Council of Chief State School Officials. One of the Maryland bills delays the use of student test performance data in teacher evaluations and personnel decisions. (H/T: Maryland Reporter) Will Ohio Join Indiana in Leaving the Common Core? Jenlight / Flickr Last year, Republican State Rep. Andy Thompson of Marietta introduced House Bill 237 that would stop Ohio from implementing the new set of learning expectations for K-12 students in math and English known as the Common Core.
And after learning of Indiana’s decision to drop the standards, Thompson questions whether the move goes far enough, especially with critics saying the state’s future standards may end up being too similar to the current Common Core plans. “Is Indiana getting out of jail in this case or are they just rearranging their jail cell,” he said. Listen to the Radio StoryDownload As for here in Ohio, Thompson’s not giving up hope on his anti-Common Core bill, and says there are still people who also want the state to ditch the standards within the near future.
“At the grassroots level I think there might be a revolt of other people, conservatives and liberals, to say that this isn’t the way we want education to go,” Thompson said. KFOR.com | Oklahoma's News Channel 4. Gov. Cuomo will consider delaying the use of Common Core test results to evaluate teachers. JR/New York Daily News Sarah Pomar shows her stance against Common Core testing at a rally Tuesday in front of PS 69 in Jackson Heights, Queens. Gov. Cuomo said for the first time Tuesday he will consider delaying the use of new curriculum test results when evaluating teachers. “We have to deal with the issue of the effect of Common Core testing on teacher evaluations,” Cuomo said. The new state budget enacted Monday delays for two years placing the test scores on student transcripts or using them as a major factor in grade promotion decisions. But the budget — at Cuomo’s insistence — left in place the use of the tests to evaluate teachers.
Aaron Showalter/New York Daily News The new state budget enacted Monday delays for two years placing the standardized test scores on student transcripts or using them as a major factor in grade promotion decisions. Cuomo now wants to consider changing that practice. Mike Groll/AP Susan Watts/New York Daily News Previous Next Enlarge.