Replace Common Core With Common SenseBy Chris Martinson, Wolf River Area Patriots

Last week’s Press Star contained an editorial by State School Superintendent, Tony Evers, defending the embattled Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). These standards were adopted for Wisconsin in June 2010 by Evers’ office with no public hearing process, and little input from local districts. Many states are considering withdrawing from Common Core. The 2015 Wisconsin legislative season will include a bill to abolish CCSSI here.

On the surface, the reasons for CCSSI may seem good: A) a perceived need for uniformity in education to make it easier for students who move from state to state, B) A uniform measurement of accountability in the federal grant process. C) Uniformity in preparing secondary students for college entrance testing or the work force.

These reasons notwithstanding, a grassroots movement has sprung up opposing Common Core. Some of its spokespersons include teachers, parents, students, businesspeople, and academia. It includes people across the political spectrum from conservative to liberal. Why do many feel it is so bad?

1) The American System is based upon self-governance and local control, and our constitution protects the sovereignty of state and local control. CCSSI is based upon the goal of uniformity throughout the nation in k12 education. Can this uniformity be created without top-down, centralized planning, that removes decision-making from local school boards and the citizens that they represent?

2) CCSSI is an elite group, not elected or appointed by our elected officials who have developed these standards in private meetings without open access.

3) There are many deficiencies in the standards. A new book called Common Ground on Common Core includes essays from 19 leaders across the country citing the deficiencies of Common Core. One contributor is Dr. Sandra Stotsky, a professor of Education, who was chosen for the validation committee of Common Core English standards, but refused to sign off on the final product, citing grave deficiencies.

4) State and Federal mandates interfere with good education. Do you know educators or school boards who think we need more mandates? CCSSI represents “mandates on steroids”.

5) Bottom-up is better than top-down. When parents have choices such as voucher schools, and charter schools, it creates incentives within public education to improve, without top-down mandates. We do not need a national standards initiative to raise standards when (if we expand choices) parents will spur on public schools to adopt higher standards.

Is the tradeoff between freedom and federalized standards worth the price? The greatest resources that our districts have are the citizens who live and work and own businesses in the district, who have a much greater incentive to see our youth succeed and learn. The worst thing we can do is force school boards to be more responsive to state and federal committees than to its own citizens.

I encourage our legislators to move quickly in 2015 to abolish adherence to CCSSI here in Wisconsin. While I believe there are many reasons for rejecting Common Core (see www.protectyourchildsfuture.com for more), the most important reason is the threat to liberty and self-governance that we hold most precious in our nation.