Common Core politics indeed makes strange bedfellows. Some of the most conservative tea party members are on the same side of the issue as some of the most liberal voters, although not really for the same reasons.
To put it simply, the Common Core movement is an attempt to implement a common set of educational standards in all 50 states so that all students are working toward the same educational goals and measured by the same assessments.
Many on the right view this as federal overreach and have been vocal in their opposition, even asking Gov. Rick Scott to stop Common Core in Florida. To date some 45 states have adopted the Common Core state standards, but two states have repealed their laws this year — Oklahoma and Indiana — due to public pressure.
Florida approved the benchmarks in 2010 with little dissent, but public opposition is getting louder. Complicating matters for Scott is the fact that Jeb Bush is a vocal supporter of Common Core and of rigorous standardized testing in general. Scott’s response to the public outcry was to make some changes to the standards and rebrand the “new” product as the Florida Standards. Opponents of Common Core were neither fooled nor impressed. Jeb Bush, on the other hand, was fine with the changes, as he recognized that the commitment to Common Core essentially remained intact.
