Don’t let it happen here!!!! House approves renaming Common - TopicsExpress

Don’t let it happen here!!!! House approves renaming Common Core Posted on January 23, 2015 by Bobby Harrison in Education, News, Politics Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email More Sharing Services By Bobby Harrison Daily Journal Jackson Bureau JACKSON – The phrase “Common Core” would be removed from state law under legislation that passed the Mississippi House 95-21 Thursday, but that does not mean the Common Core academic standards would be replaced. House Education Committee Chairman John Moore, R-Brandon, said time and again Thursday as the proposal was debated on the House floor that the legislation would not require the state Board of Education to replace the Common Core academic standards. The bill would refer to the standards as the Mississippi College and Career-Ready Standards, which is what they already are called by the Mississippi Board of Education. Both Gov. Phil Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves have called for the replacement of the Common Core standards. And Tea Party Republican senators like Michael Watson, R-Pascagoula, and Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, have said that they would not support simply changing the name or “a rebranding” of Common Core. “What is needed is legislation passed to repeal fully Common Core and to have it take effect immediately upon passage,” Sen. Melanie Sojourner, R-Natchez, said late last year when Reeves announced he wanted a task force to develop new academic standards for the state. But no Republican in the state House voted against the legislation Thursday. The House also passed legislation that allows local school districts to develop their own curriculum to teach to the standards. The state Board would advise, but not mandate, curriculum. Moore said the legislation also would “detach” the state from the federal assessment process, but would not prevent the state Board of Education from using federal assessments, and Moore conceded that in certain areas the state had no choice but to follow federal guidelines. House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, said, “Today, we took a big step clarifying that Mississippians are in control of our educational standards. Mississippi’s education decisions must be made by Mississippians.” Later this session, the Senate is expected to take up its own bill relating to academic standards. It is likely that debate on that proposal will be more intense. But Gunn said the legislation passed by the House on Thursday ensures “we have complete control of the standards our schools use. First of all, we need to ensure that we have high standards. Then, just as important, we need to make sure that our standards are aligned with Mississippi values.” Common Core standards, developed in 2009 by the nation’s governors and education officials, have been controversial in recent years, with various conservative-leaning groups saying the new standards were an effort by the federal government to take over local school districts. The Mississippi Board of Education adopted those standards in 2010, and local school districts have been enacting them in recent years. bobby.harrison@journalinc NC Citizens for Academic Excellence Symposium Date: 02-07-15 Time: 10AM Cost: Contribution Arrival time is critical since we have to post a person at the building entrance to let you in, please arrive between 9:30 & 10:00 Location: Colliers International - 702 Oberlin Road | Suite 400 - Raleigh, NC EDUCATIONAL “WATCH DOG” RECRUITMENT & TRAINING Who is the biggest threat to our Education System? The person in the mirror! youtube/watch_popup?v=XNUc8nuo7HI