A week after nine GOP senators introduced a resolution opposing the Common Core state education standards, House Republicans have taken up the cause, with a total of 43 members signing on to a measure.
Karima Hawkins of Jackson, foreground, holds a sign against Common Core. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) introduced a resolution denouncing the use of federal Department of Education grants to as “coercion” for adopting the Common Core standards.
“Classrooms cannot and should not be coerced into adopting federal academic standards. That’s not just my belief; it’s federal law,” Duncan said in a statement.
“Common Core is one of the most frequent concerns I hear from parents when I’m traveling across the district. Parents and teachers alike are alarmed by this top-down approach to education that wrongly ties education money for states to the adoption of academic standards that do not fully reflect the values of South Carolina,” Duncan continued. “Beyond the most important constitutional issues with federal education standards, many education leaders have been raising concerns with the content of the standards themselves.”
The Senate resolution was driven by Duncan's fellow South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Common Core state standards for math and English in K-12 were developed by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers as a means of improving schools. The Obama administration and national teacher unions back the standards.
However, critics are concerned the administration's carrot and stick approach with “Race to the Top” grants will lead to a de facto national standards.
“As a father of three boys, I know first-hand that every child is different and every child learns differently. Education needs to be personalized and flexible, which means education policy needs to originate from our local communities and not from some bureaucrats in Washington,” Duncan said. “The Washington-knows-best approach has repeatedly failed the very children it proposes to help. It’s time to roll back Common Core and return education to the people who it matters most to –children, parents, and teachers.”
As of early Tuesday evening, the House resolution had 43 co-sponsors, Jamison Coppola, legislative director of the American Association of Christian Schools, told TheBlaze.
