Scott Garrett Introduced LEARN Bill in House of Representatives

Congressman Scott Garrett (R-5^th CD NJ) introduced H.R. 2394 the Local Education Authority Returns Now Act (the “LEARN Act”), which would (1) allow states to opt out of Obama’s Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSS); (2) not have to return the money received under CCSS, and (3) receive a credit for their appropriate share of future CCSS money that will be distributed to other states still in the CCSS.

There has been growing criticism of the CCSS.  For example, the CCSS require an excessive number of tests that must be taken on computers, and force teachers to teach to the tests, rather than the materials that they had been previously been teaching.  Furthermore, because the CCSS are copyrighted, they cannot be changed or modified.  The standards do not permit teachers the time or opportunity to adjust to individual students’ learning needs.  Retraining teachers, as well as buying the computers and the required test materials, will cost local school districts millions of dollars.  The standards themselves are below the current standards in many states, including New Jersey.  The CCSS have been described as raising the bar for low achieving students and lowering the bar for high achieving students.  One size does not fit all, but the CCSS prevent the teacher from meeting each student’s needs.

Dr. Sandra Stotsky of the University of Arkansas, who is credited with developing the highly regarded Massachusetts K-12 standards, served on the CCSS Validation Committee.  However, she refused to sign off on the English Language Arts portion of CCSS citing “poor quality, empty skill sets, the de-emphasis on literature, and low reading levels, such as 8th grade levels for 12th grade students.”  Dr. James Milgram of Stanford University, who was the only mathematician on the CCSS Validation Committee, referred to the math program “as almost a joke to think students [under CCSS] would be ready for math at a university.”  For more information and a discussion of CCSS see, “New Jersey Student Achievement Threatened by Common Core”; “Weak Common Core Curriculum Dumbs Down New Jersey Students”; and “Common Core is ‘Education Without Representation’ – NJ Legislators Start to Object,” www.watchdogwire.com/new-jersey.

After briefly reviewing Obama’s CCSS and George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind, Congressman Scott Garrett recently wrote in an op-ed published by The Star-Ledger:

“For half a century, Washington has pursued control of the classroom by attaching strings to federal education dollars sent to the states. Yet despite spending roughly $2 trillion and decades of increased federal regulation, reading scores remain flat, education costs have more than doubled, student-teacher ratios continue to decline, high school graduation rates remain unchanged since the 1970s and achievement gaps persist.

“The tradition of federalized education has failed our students. And on this tradition the president proposes to double down.

“Common Core is the predictable result of the Obama administration’s coercion of cash-strapped states. In return for a state’s adoption of Common Core, the administration promised the states a share of a $4.35 billion bounty.

“Some officeholders don’t trust people outside Washington to come up with solutions. I disagree. Rather than centralizing education, I believe that states and localities — those closest to the students — should set academic standards. The state and local governments are our laboratories of democracy. By promoting innovation at the state and local level, where parents and teachers have a louder voice, we provide ourselves with the opportunity to replicate our successes and learn from our mistakes.

“But arrogant, top-down dictates, such as Common Core, rob us of this opportunity. We should allow federalism to work and defer to local experience.

“That is why I’ve introduced the Local Education Authority Returns Now Act. The LEARN Act would allow states to opt out of federal education regulations and retain the dollars that would have been sent to Washington by reimbursing the taxpayers through a tax credit. The process is simple, straightforward, and empowers parents, teachers, school boards and local officials.”  Scott Garrett, “Rep. Scott Garrett: Put education back into state, local hands (Opinion),” Star-Ledger, NJ.com, www.blog.nj.com/new_jersey_opinion/print.html, 4/10/2014.

 

New Jersey currently has two bills in the State Senate and six bills in the Assembly to delay and assess or, in some bills, to restrict portions of CCSS.  Senate S253 and companion Assembly Bill A990 would (1) establish a CCSS Evaluation Task Force (ETF) to review and examine CCSS and (2) delay the implementation of any tests and assessment developed by the Partnership of Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) until the ETF submits its final report.  Many people believe that if the ETF is able to set forth the truth about the CCSS, the CCSS will be repealed in New Jersey.

 

Momentum against the CCSS is building in New Jersey and around the country.  Various County Boards of Chosen Freeholders have passed resolutions in support of the state legislature to delay and investigate the CCSS.   On September 17, 2013, the Bergen County Board of Chosen Freeholders unanimously adopted resolutions supporting passage of these NJ legislative bills. On October 8, 2013, The Morris County Board of Freeholders passed resolutions which said (1) that they supported the bills to delay and investigate the CCSS, but (2) went even further, by stating that the Morris BOF opposed CCSS, and (3) they asked Congress and the Administration to withdraw support and discontinue funding CCSS.  Warren, Hunterdon, and Cape May Boards of Freeholders have passed various similar resolutions.  On February 14^th the Sussex County Board of Freeholders became the 6^th BOF to act and unanimously passed a resolution to support S253 and A990.  Richard Miner, “Common Core, what is it and what does it mean for Sparta?” Sparta Independent, p. 12, 3/27/2014, www.spartaindependent.com, posted 4/11/14.

Indiana became the first of the 45 states that adopted the CCSS to withdraw from the standards.  After signing the withdrawal law, Indiana’s Governor Mike Pence predicted that Indiana would be just the first of many states to reconsider the CCSS.  He stated, "I believe when we reach the end of this process there are going to be many other states around the country 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, we drew on parents and developed standards that meet the needs of our people."  “Open the floodgates? Indiana becomes first state to scrap Common Core,” FoxNews.com, www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/3/25.  Jim Stergios, Executive Director, Pioneer Institute, a Boston-based think tank, said that Indiana’s action could "open the floodgates."  Id.

Criticism of the CCSS around the country has grown in part due to the excessive costs, which have been estimated to be more than four times the total Race to the Top money.  These extra costs will be borne by state and local taxpayers.  Probably, the local property owners will suffer the most.  Criticism is also increasing because of fear that the CCSS will establish a national curriculum, because whoever controls the standards and the tests effectively controls the curriculum.  Id.  Many teachers have complained that they must teach to the test, and cannot teach their normal curriculum.  The most qualified members of the CCSS Validation Committee pointed out the poor quality of the standards and refused to certify the CCSS.  Many parents object to the extensive longitudinal and intrusive personal data that schools would be required to collect on their students.  Some people have even referred to CCSS as the Obamacare of education and others are calling CCSS Obamacore.