CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Jan. 28, 2022) – A bill introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates would end Common Core in schools throughout the state.
Del. Pat McGeehan (R-Hancock), introduced House Bill 2206 (HB2206) on Jan 12. The legislation would void Common Core academic content standards and any assessments currently part of the initiative.
“Common Core is a confused and convoluted set of standards and curriculum forced upon us by the U.S. Department of Education,” McGeehan said. “This policy had the effect of regression in setting back our children’s education for years, and it has already done irreparable damage to our elementary and middle school children.
We have to get back to classical education and local control of education based on the experience and tradition we know that works.”
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. Initially, the DoE tied the grant of waivers from the No Child Left Behind Act to the adoption of Common Core, using the standards as powerful strings to influence state educational policy. The Every Student Succeeds Act passed by Congress in 2015 prohibited 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.” ESSA gives more latitude to states and local school districts in determining standards, but the feds still maintain significant control over state education systems. States are required to submit their goals and standards, along with a detailed plan outlining how they plan to achieve them to the DoE for feedback and then approval.
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 independent based on their own criteria. 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 standards 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 would take a positive step forward for the people of West Virginia and a path for other states to follow.
WHAT’S NEXT
HB2206 has been referred to the House Education Committee. It must pass out with a majority in order to continue on in the legislative process.
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