Yesterday, Governor Scott Walker surprised many political insiders when he called upon the Legislature to repeal the state’s Common Core education standards. Here is a sampling of reactions to the Governor’s statement:
Senator Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa):
I support Governor Walker’s call for an end to federal Common Core standards in our state. I know there is support on both sides of the aisle to end Common Core and develop new standards that challenge and prepare our students for the real world of work.
Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills):
I support Governor Walker’s call for an end to federal Common Core standards in our state. I know there is support on both sides of the aisle to end Common Core and develop new standards that challenge and prepare our students for the real world of work.
Senator Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee):
From business leaders to school officials across our state, there is solid agreement that Common Core is common sense for our children, our classrooms, and our communities.
The fact that Walker is pitting himself against standards that are so universally accepted and highly regarded shows that he is alarmingly out-of-touch.
Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha):
I am stunned that Governor Walker is so out of touch with our state’s educators that he wants to repeal these widely-supported education standards. I have never before seen such an outpouring of support from educators, who stood up in unison to back Common Core standards when they were last threatened by Wisconsin Republicans. At the time, it was made very clear that making dramatic changes would be very costly and challenging.
Wisconsin Association of School Boards:
The WASB is disappointed by the governor’s statement, which goes much further than calls to simply delay the implementation of state achievement tests aligned to the Common Core State Standards. School districts around state have spent years and millions of dollars revising curriculum to meet the higher standards. That effort will have been wasted if the standards are repealed.
Phillip McGoohan, Cedarburg School Board member:
I think Smarter Balanced has yet to be proven as a viable methodology.
It’s something that has been developed by academics who want the federal government to get more involved.