Ohio Republican Leaders Move To Repeal Common Core Standards

Ohio House Republican leaders introduced a bill Monday to repeal the controversial Common Core standards that will be implemented in the state’s schools next month.

House leaders will fast-track the bill by sending it to a committee chaired by Speaker Pro Tempore Matt Huffman (R), one of the measure’s sponsors, instead of the education committee, says Cincinnati.com. They will hope for a vote in the full House when the General Assembly is back in session in November.

“The leadership in the House supports the repeal of these standards, with the substitution of other high standards, to get the federal government out of the business of education in Ohio,” Huffman said. “This issue has turned. Americans now view this as an intrusion by the federal government on the most important thing to them: the education of their children…. This is beginning to prove to be another disaster by the federal government.”

The measure faces challenges, however, in the Ohio Senate and with Gov. John Kasich (R) who has been supportive of the Common Core standards and has cited the need for higher education standards in Ohio as a primary reason for his support.

The move by conservative state House Republicans sets up a confrontation with establishment Republicans who support the nationalized standards and more often than not receive the support of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce–ardent champions of the Common Core.

As the Columbus Dispatch notes, Common Core has the support of the Ohio business community.

Dan Nevin, vice president for tax and economic policy at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, said businesses need highly skilled workers.

“Building a college- and career – ready Ohio starts with higher yet achievable, standards,” Nevin wrote in a recent column. “The Common Core state standards do this.”

The new legislation would also require the state legislature to decide which standards Ohio would use and to approve of future changes to education standards made by the state board of education.

Proponents of repeal in Ohio will also be considering replacement standards and how to deal with the implementation of Common Core and its aligned tests this fall.