Two bills introduced in the Florida state legislature would effectively nullify Common Core and restore decentralized control of education within state boundaries.
Senate Bill 1406 (SB1406) was introduced by State Sen. Dwight Bullard (D-39), and House Bill 743 (HB743) was introduced by Rep. Debbie Mayfield (R-54) and six co-sponsors. With bipartisan support, these bills indicate that the Sunshine State could be serious about pushing back against the federally-driven Common Core standards.
SB1406 and HB743 contain the same language. Each bill states, in part, the following:
The Department of Education or a district school board may not enter into any agreement, memorandum of understanding, or contract with a federal agency or private entity that cedes or limits the state’s or school district’s control over the development, adoption, or revision of the state’s academic content standards or corresponding assessments, including, but not limited to, agreements, memoranda, or contracts for funding public schools and programs.
Furthermore, all current agreements that violate the aforementioned section are deemed invalid by the legislation. The statewide assessment program, school grading system, and personnel evaluation system would be suspended until the state develops new academic standards independent from Common Core. If successful, both bills would come into effect on July 1, 2015.
SB1406 is currently in the Senate Education Pre-K-12 Committee while HB743 is currently in the House Choice and Innovation Subcommittee, awaiting further action. The bills must pass through their committee assignments successfully before they can receive full votes in their respective chambers.
ACTION ITEMS
For Florida: Take action to support this important bill HERE.
For other states: Take action to fight Common Core in your state HERE.
