Common Core Loses in Louisiana

The Obama administration’s “Common Core” education curriculum is lowering the bar for American students and giving the federal government even greater authority in education than they have had in the past. Rather than strengthening American education, they have the potential to do serious harm to our children’s knowledge and global competitiveness. Not to mention that it becomes a direct pipeline of liberal, anti-family values from the cultural elites to your child’s classroom.

At last week’s FRC panel on Common Core, leading experts explained the threat the new Uncle Sam-established requirements impose. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has joined a number of other state leaders in ending participation in Common Core. While some governors have simply sought to repackage Common Core, Governor Jindal has expelled it from the state altogether. Keep in mind that Gov. Jindal is no stranger to excellence in education: He was president of the University of Louisiana system earlier in his career, and during his term as governor has been a champion of quality education for Louisiana’s children.

So it came as a bit of a surprise when Chas Roemer, head of Louisiana’s school board, “accused GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal of creating a ‘fiasco’ by taking steps against Common Core.” With his statements, Roemer is fanning the flames of two suits filed by lawmakers against Gov. Jindal, lawsuits that waste both precious taxpayer money, and delay the development of truly better, higher standards for Louisiana’s children. The real fiasco is the Common Core standards themselves. As Dr. Sandra Stotsky, who spoke at last week’s FRC Common Core forum and previously served on the National Validation Committee for the Common Core State Systemic Initiative has said, “Everyone was willing to believe that the Common Core standards are ‘rigorous,’ ‘competitive,’ ‘internationally benchmarked,’ and ‘research-based.’ They are not.” Those strong words are echoed in a resolution offered by U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in February “strongly denouncing the Obama administration’s coercion of states into adopting Common Core State Standards by conferring preferences in federal grants and flexibility waivers.”

Regrettably, U.S. Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), Gov. Jindal’s likely replacement as Louisiana’s governor, endorses the Common Core standards. It’s my hope that my friend Sen. Vitter will reconsider his support for Common Core, as Gov. Jindal and other governors in a number of states before him.

Tony Perkins heads the Family Research Council. This article is excerpted from the Washington Update that he compiles for the FRC.

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