Indiana Becomes First State to Drop Out of Common Core
On Monday, Indiana became the first state to drop out of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Governor Mike Pence signed Senate Bill 91, which replaces CCSS with standards created in Indiana. The new law does not prohibit parts of CCSS from being written into the new standards, which the Indiana Board of Education will vote on late next month.
Pence said, “I believe when we reach the end of this process there are going to be many other states around the county that will take a hard look at the way Indiana has taken a step back, designed our own standards, and done it in a way where we drew on educators, we drew on citizens and parents, and developed standards that meet the needs of our people.”
When asked if it would be a concern if Indiana’s new standards were similar to Common Core but under different name, Pence said content is what matters. Indiana’s next standards need to make students “college- and career-ready” so that the U.S. Department of Education will continue the state's waiver from the No Child Left Behind law. Without a waiver, the state could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds.
About the Author
Christopher Piehler is the former editor-in-chief of THE Journal.