Oklahoma expels Common Core

Oklahoma has dropped Common Core.

From the Oklahoman:

Gov. Mary Fallin signed a bill Thursday scrapping academic standards that have become a bright symbol of federal overreach.

Her decision to throw out Common Core math and English standards drew immediate criticism from educators and business interests as a disruptive political move that was not in the best interest of young people, while opponents of the benchmarks cheered the end to what they said was a harmful federal intrusion.

“It has become very apparent to me that the word Common Core has become a word that is tainted, that is divisive, that has caused widespread concern throughout our state,” Fallin said in an afternoon news conference.

The standards for children in kindergarten through 12th grade were developed in a state-led effort launched in 2009 through the National Governors Association, a group Fallin now heads. Meant to be rigorous and advance critical thinking, they were adopted voluntarily by 45 states and the District of Columbia. Oklahoma joins Indiana in repealing them.

The feds use cash to push Common Core, and in the press conference, the governor added, "President Obama and Washington bureaucrats have usurped Common Core in an attempt to influence state education standards."

Earlier posts:

• (Video) PJTV's Common Core series, part one
• (Video) PJTV's Common Core series, part two
• (Video) PJTV's Common Core series, part three
• (Video) PJTV's Common Core series, part four
• (Video) PJTV's Common Core series, part five

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