Indiana's utilization of a new school curriculum developed by the nation's governors may be tested before it has a chance to be fully implemented.
The Common Core curriculum program, approved by 46 states as a plan for establishing standards in language arts and math, has been endorsed by Indiana for implementation next year, but it has been challenged by some tea partiers and at least questioned by the state's new school superintendent Glenda Ritz.
Teachers have contended they did not have enough input into the program approved under the administration of past state school superintendent Tony Bennett. Ritz defeated Bennett in November. Bennett is moving on to Florida, where he will become state superintendent, in part because of the reforms he instituted in Indiana.
Back in Indiana, the Associated Press reported that two Republican state senators are pushing legislation to pull the state out of Common Core. Sens. Mike Delph of Carmel and Scott Schneider of Indianapolis say they will file bills to decentralize school curriculum and to end Indiana's participation in Common Core.
Bennett and the Indiana Board of Eduction approved Indiana's participation in Common Core in 2010. Presumably, it would take an act of the legislature or a reversal by the education board to stop. The state board has indicated it would be resistant to Ritz's efforts to reverse reforms pushed by Bennett. However, we presume the legislature could stop Common Core in Indiana.
Conservative critics of Common Core see it as an effort to nationalize education in America. However, Common Core was not created by the federal government, but rather, by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. It does have the support of President Barack Obama. States decided individually if they wanted to participate, and in fact, 46 states opted into the program.
The Common Core standards and testing are intended to prepare American students for college and for careers. According to a report in the Evansville Courier & Press, Common Core and traditional standards have similarities, but the main differences are how skills are applied.
Velma Stubbs, Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corp. director of English, language arts and literacy, said the program will set students up for success in school and beyond.
It strikes us that this could be a missed opportunity if some legislators, following the lead of tea partiers, decide to exclude Indiana children from the opportunities presented by Common Core.
There are good grounds for Ritz to familiarize herself with the academic program. But again, don't get in a hurry to scrub all the good works, including in Evansville, that have already gone into preparation for Common Core.