A conservative movement away from federal Common Core learning standards got a boost Wednesday when Maine’s Gov. Paul LePage (R) signed an executive order against the standards, intended to streamline learning initiatives throughout the country
LePage’s move came on a wave of dissatisfaction among constituents, who lobbied for a November 2014 referendum on the issue. Before residents had an opportunity to vote, LePage issued the executive order, which states that Maine will not be held accountable to federal education standards.
“The federal government has no constitutional authority to set learning standards in Maine or any other state, nor determine how children in the State of Maine or any other state will be educated,” the executive order states. “The Maine Constitution specifically grants to local governments responsibility for the support and maintenance of public schools. It is therefore the right of local school units, not the state, to develop and or adopt curricula and instructional approaches consistent with state learning standards.”
LePage also took issue with student privacy issues, as part of parents’ and anti-Common Core advocates’ concerns have been rooted in the suspicion that the federal government will access and collect private student data.
Part of the executive order includes a provision insinuating as much, declaring that private student data — including students’ religion and political views — shall not be shared with the federal government.
“That the collection of student data by school districts and the state Department of Education must be done in a manner consistent with state and federal laws intended to protect student privacy,” the order states. “No personally identifiable data on students and/or their families’ religion, political party affiliation, psychometric data, biometric information, and/or voting history shall be collected, tracked, housed, reported or shared with the federal government, nor provided to private vendors for the purposes of marketing or business development.”
Teachers and parents have spoken out against data collected through student information, including tests given to students to monitor personal issues, including religion.
“These standards and assessments and data collection are going to fundamentally transform education and it is not the role of the federal government or state government to impose these kinds of things,” Dr. Karen Effrem of the Florida Stop Common Core Coalition told the Florida Current.
Common Core’s ties to ALEC?
The conservative movement against Common Core is slowly starting to resemble progressive movements pushing away from policies that are aligned with invasions of privacy. The standards also have been linked to pro-business lobbying power, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a notorious opponent for Americans with progressive leanings.
At a recent meeting, conservative groups looked to their would-be friends at ALEC to help them out with anti-Common Core model legislation — and didn’t get far. Those opposed to Common Core claim there’s private interest in keeping the standards going.
“ALEC’s delay in endorsing the resolution is troubling and plays into the strategy of the multi-billion dollar private entities that are pushing the Common Core,” American Principle Project’s Emmett McGroarty said. “This issue has been before ALEC for almost a year. The resolution was approved by the ALEC Education Task Force overwhelmingly last December, and ALEC has discussed it at three of its national meetings. The well-financed private entities and the federal government are moving forward with their implementation of the Common Core, and Americans have been cut out of the process.”
According to teacher and grassroots education advocate Peggy Robertson, Common Core’s influence from corporate entities has to do with plans to create a new form of standardized testing.
“The common core standards are a cash cow for the corporations who plan to implement new testing, new curriculum, new professional development, and more, in order to adhere to the requirements under Race to the Top, Obama’s education policy,” Robertson asserted on her education blog, Peg with Pen.
According to educator Morna McDermott, who was interviewed by TruthOut, nonprofit organization Achieve, which focusses on college readiness, is heavily funded by ALEC members. McDermott believes corporations’ interest stems from companies that have a stake in cloud-based data mining technologies.
While not specifically stating that Achieve would thrive with the implementation of Common Core standards, the group’s description does insinuate support for the streamlined method of nationwide standards.
“To achieve this goal, states need a coherent and aligned policy framework anchored in the goal of graduating all students ready for credit-bearing, college-level coursework and the 21st-century workplace,” it states on its website. “The policy framework must, at a minimum, include college- and career-ready standards, graduation requirements, assessments, and data and accountability systems and have strong alignment with policies set in the postsecondary and economic development sectors.”
Common Core opposition
LePage’s bold move comes in the midst of a national campaign against Common Core — one led primarily by those on the conservative end of the spectrum, who are crying out against what they fear is federal control of children’s minds.
The most recent debacle over Common Core came when Alabama Sen. Bill Holtzclaw (R-Madison), who has fought off “boogeyman” threats regarding Common Core, stated that one of the books on the standards’ 11th grade reading list should be banned, citing it as “child pornography.”
The book, “The Bluest Eye,” written in 1970 by Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, gives a fictional account of a Black girl growing up in Ohio — and the molestation, rape and incest she faces.
For those already opposing Common Core, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Florida’s Stop Common Core Coalition issued a statement in August declaring the standards an act of federal overreach, and calling on the state’s legislators to appeal the standards. Florida is among the 45 states that has implemented the standards.
In its August policy statement, the organization claimed the Common Core standards were a disguise for the real motivation behind the federally-supported united front: brainwashing America’s children. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the group feels the standards “instill federally determined attitudes and mindsets in students including political and religious beliefs.”
While opposition is largely concentrated on the political right, there is a divide. Even in Florida, where opposition to Common Core is strong and growing, leading conservatives still stand behind the federal standards, highlighting them as tools necessary to raise the bar for American students.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush (R) appeared in Chicago at a pro-ALEC conference in August, carrying the message of those within his own political party that Common Core is not the enemy.
Still, those on the conservative end of the spectrum opposed to Common Core do not seem to be connecting the dots with ALEC, an organization responsible for model legislation, including “right to work” and “stand your ground” — both policies championed by conservative Americans.