LANSING, Mich. (Feb. 10, 2017) – Two bills introduced in the Michigan legislature would withdraw the state from Common Core standards, an important step toward nullifying the nationalized education program in the state.

Senate Bill 81 (SB81) was introduced on Jan. 31 by Sen. Phil Pavlov (R-St. Clair), along with 16 co-sponsors, while House Bill 4192 (HB4192) was introduced on Feb. 9 by Rep. Gary Glenn (R-Midland) along with 28 bipartisan co-sponsors. The legislation would void Common Core standards and create a framework establishing state standards to replace them.

“Michigan students deserve the best standards, proven by actual test results,” Rep. Glenn said in a press release about his bill. “And ultimately, our own local school boards and educational leaders — not the federal government – know what’s best for Michigan students.”

The two bills contain many of the same provisions, often using identical language.

This state terminates all plans, programs, activities, efforts, and expenditures relating to the implementation of Michigan K-12 science standards and the educational initiative commonly referred to as the common core standards, or any derivative or permutation of that educational initiative including, but not limited to, the Michigan College and Career Ready Standards that have been adopted by the legislature.

Both bills specify that any assessment, data collection, or instructions related to the Common Core federal standards are to be banned. The Common Core standards are replaced with proven educational standards that were once used in Massachusetts, and ranked highest in the nation when they were in place. HB4192 reads, in part:

The state academic content standards shall be the same as the academic standards in effect in Massachusetts during the 2008-2009 school year, except that any reference in those standards to “Massachusetts” shall be changed in all appropriate instances to a reference to “Michigan” and any state history or government content standards shall be changed to reflect the history and government of this state. within 10 days after the state academic content standards are implemented, the department shall distribute the standards to all public schools in this state and make the standards available to the public on the department website.

Both bills also contain provisions that protect the personally-identifiable information of students from being collected and harvested under the new educational standards. SB81 reads, in part:

The new assessments adopted under this section and all future assessments adopted by the department… shall not collect any of the following:
(i) Data about the values, attitudes, beliefs, and personality traits of a pupil or a pupil’s family.
(ii) Medical, behavioral, biometric, or psychometric data of a pupil or a pupil’s family.

In addition, the bills contain opt-out provisions explicitly giving parents the right to remove their children from state-administered testing regimes for any reason they choose. HB4192 reads, in part:

The state board and the department shall… respect and support the ultimate right of a parent to opt his or her child out of public school, and out of any public school activity, practice, or testing that the parent finds unacceptable, with no negative repercussions to, or financial impact on, the child, parent, or school and with no interference from this state. this subdivision does not prohibit this state from funding public education on a per-pupil basis.

BACKGROUND

Common Core was intended to create nationwide education standards. While touted as a state initiative through the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the U.S. Department of Education was heavily involved behind the scenes. Up until recently, the DoE tied the grant of waivers from the No Child Left Behind Act to adoption of Common Core, using the standards as powerful strings to influence state educational policy. The Every Student Succeeds Act passed by Congress this month now prohibits the DoE from attempting to “influence, incentivize, or coerce State adoption of the Common Core State Standards … or any other academic standards common to a significant number of States.”

Even with the federal strings cut from Common Core for the time being, it is still imperative for each state to adopt its own standards. The feds can once again use these national standards to meddle in state education at any time if they remain in place. Just as importantly, one-size-fits-all standard simply don’t benefit children. State and local governments should remain in full control of their own educational systems.

Rejecting nationalized education standards is the first step toward bringing true academic choice, and freedom. Passage of this legislation into law represents a positive step forward for the people of Michigan and a path for other states to follow.

Even with the federal strings cut from Common Core for the time being, it is still imperative for each state to adopt its own standards. The feds can once again use these national standards to meddle in state education at any time if they remain in place. Just as importantly, one-size-fits-all standard simply don’t benefit children. State and local governments should remain in full control of their own educational systems.

Rejecting nationalized education standards is the first step toward bringing true academic choice, and freedom. Passage of this legislation into law represents a positive step forward for the people of Michigan and a path for other states to follow.

NEXT STEPS

HB4192 will be heard in the Michigan Competitiveness Committee on Feb. 15. The chairman of this committee is Rep. Lee Chatfield. He can be reached at 517-373-2629. Contact information for the rest of the committee members can be found at this link. HB4192 has already been fast-tracked for a committee hearing in the Michigan Competitiveness Committee. It will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at Noon EST in Room 307, House Office Building, Lansing, MI.

SB81 was referred to the Senate Government Operations Committee where it will need to be approved before it can be considered for a full Senate vote.

 

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