Common Core Not Going Away
Oklahoma legislators open new chapter in Common Core debate
By Randy Ellis and Tim Willert
The Oklahoma House of Representatives voted to repeal Oklahoma’s Common Core academic standards last week, opening yet another chapter in the school curriculum chaos that has engulfed Oklahoma schools the past few years.
The Common Core standards are a rigorous set of academic standards for kindergarten through 12th grade students in English laguage arts/literacy and mathematics. The standards are designed to make sure students are ready for college and careers when they graduate, according to the state Education Department.
The standards were developed by state education chiefs and governors from 48 states and have been adopted by 45 states, including Oklahoma.
It is uncertain exactly what would happen if the House’s repeal efforts were ultimately successful.
The state Education Department currently monitors 168 schools that are on a priority schools list for failure to meet state and national academic standards.