Candidates and Common Core

Its pretty interesting that — with the exception of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) — you can usually connect the dots between opposition to Common Core and a Republican seeking, or being talked about for, the presidency.

{mosads}On this issue, Bush, like he has on several issues, parts ways with conservatives and he has emphatically repeated that he won’t be changing his mind. On Fox News channel, Bush said in April: “I just don’t feel compelled to run for cover when I think this is the right thing to do for our country. And others have, others that supported the standards all of a sudden are opposed to it.”

Add Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) to the list. Fallin is being whispered about as a potential appealing vice presidential nominee for a GOP ticket in 2016. Back in January of 2014, just six months ago, Fallin said Common Core was “not a federal program. It is driven and implemented by those states that choose to participate. It is also not a federal curriculum, in fact it is not a curriculum at all. Local educators and school districts will still design the best lesson plans, will choose appropriate textbooks and will drive classroom learning.”

But Fallin just signed a bill sent to her by the state legislature dropping Common Core standards, and she claimed her change of heart came because the well-intentioned, bipartisan standards had been corrupted by national Democrats seeking government control over education. “Unfortunately, federal overreach has tainted Common Core. President Obama and Washington bureaucrats have usurped Common Core in an attempt to influence state education standards. The results are predictable. What should have been a bipartisan policy is now widely regarded as the president’s plan to establish federal control of curricula, testing and teaching strategies.”

But it won’t be lonely for Fallin in the anti-Common Core camp — she is joined there by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

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