Duncan: Politics Changed Common Core In OK
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says politics led to Gov. Mary Fallin’s repeal of Common Core academic standards
by Rick Green
On Feb. 21, Gov. Mary Fallin defended Common Core academic standards for schoolchildren and expressed frustration over misinformation about the issue.
Thursday, she did an about face and signed a bill repealing the standards.
“So what changed?” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan asked in a White House briefing Monday. “Politics changed.”
The political tide turned in a big way against the rigorous math and English standards. They became increasingly linked to the notion of federal overreach, even though they were developed in 2009 in a state-led effort through the National Governors Association, an organization Fallin now heads.
In the briefing, Duncan said tough standards are needed. When states have reduced their standards it’s “bad for kids, it’s bad for the country, it’s terrible for education,” he said.
The education secretary said Oklahoma is among the states that need to do a better job of educating its young people.