Bob SparksOver the next 11 months, education policy will be debated in many forums, including the legislative session. The campaign for governor will not be silent on the future of our schools.
Yes, jobs, health care and the economy will be front and center, but how Florida’s public education system responds to life after the FCAT won’t be far behind.
Words and actions by former Gov. Charlie Crist and Gov. Rick Scott involving the Common Core State Standards will provide fodder for microwaved rhetoric. But the State Board of Education will have the high-profile decision on how we evaluate our students, teachers and schools.
How did Common Core arrive in Florida? In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, better known as the federal stimulus, became law. Among the $787 billion appropriated was $4.35 billion in education grants disbursed through programs such as Race to the Top.
States could apply for Race to the Top grants if they would commit to specific “education and innovation reform.” Those reforms included “adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace.”
While governor, Crist gladly accepted unfettered federal assistance during the recession and went after grants such as Race to the Top. This program, like many federal assistance programs, had strings.
To be considered, the state had to make certain pledges. Florida’s 2010 application for Race to the Top money made this pledge:
“Florida will adopt and implement the internationally benchmarked Common Core State Standards in all state public school classrooms. Florida’s Governor and Education Commissioner have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSS) jointly led by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association in partnership with Achieve, Inc., ACT, and the College Board.”
Florida promised to adopt Common Core by Aug. 2, 2010. It was among 10 winning states and received about $700 million.
Florida kept its promise and adopted the standards, along with 44 other states, during the summer of 2010 and made plans for their implementation.
Since their adoption, Common Core has come under intense fire. Conservatives increasingly voice concerns that Common Core amounts to federal intrusion into the school system. Teachers’ unions are objecting to the frequent testing and an erosion of local and classroom flexibility.
Less than three months ago, Scott directed Florida to disengage from the multi-state testing consortium. Alabama is trying to repeal Common Core. Louisiana, Michigan and Indiana delayed them while others are considering a similar move.
In November, conservatives jumped on the announcement that Massachusetts voted to delay implementation for two years. Later that month, the Florida Association of District School Superintendents recommended a three-year delay in our state.
Crist has already blasted Scott in an op-ed column in the Tampa Bay Times on Sept. 20. He chided Scott by saying he needs “to get off the fence and lead Florida’s embrace of the Common Core Education Standards.”
If Scott was on the fence, he jumped or was pushed off, but he didn’t land on the side advocated by Crist or former Gov. Jeb Bush, a strong supporter of Common Core. Three days later, he made the move to distance Florida from the accountability arm of Common Core.
For those who want Florida to walk — no, run — away from Common Core, they had better have an answer for the feds should they come knocking on our door asking for $700 million back. Scott has not talked about abandoning the standards altogether, but all eyes will be on the Board of Education when it considers the next steps. By 2014, Scott will have appointed or re-appointed every member of the board.
Florida would have likely joined the consortium without the $700 million, but a promise is a promise. We’re just talking about delays, but if the subject of starting over comes up, responsible people might want to keep that fact in mind.
The Superintendents’ recommendation for delay will be persuasive and the decision by Massachusetts, the country’s best-educated state, says a great deal. The sitting governor wants at least a delay.
The fun part will be deciding what to do if and when Common Core is delayed. That reality is more likely than ever before.
