Foes of Common Core standards fail to advance ban in Kansas

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A push to repeal Common Core education standards in Kansas faltered again Friday when opponents of the multistate academic guidelines disagreed over tactics and couldn't get a proposed ban out of a legislative committee.

The House Education Committee voted 10-7 against a bill to prohibit school districts or officials from giving up "any measure of control" over academic standards to any group outside Kansas.

The bill would have effectively banned the use of Common Core standards for reading and math adopted in 2010 by the State Board of Education, because they were developed by the National Governors Association and education groups. The measure also would have blocked multistate science standards adopted by the state board in 2013 that treat evolution and climate change as key concepts to be taught at all grade levels.

Academic guidelines do not provide a curriculum or spell out how students are taught, though supporters of Common Core reading and math standards contend that they emphasize critical thinking over memorization. Supporters also say they're more rigorous.

"There isn't any reason to do anything about this," said Carolyn Bridges, a Wichita Democrat who supports Common Core.

Common Core opponents contend the standards represent a loss of control for parents and local school boards, and they're critical of changes in how material is taught. Some also argue that the standards allow questionable material, such as novels with adult content, into classrooms.

But petitions and rallies against Common Core haven't led to a ban in Kansas, despite conservative Republicans' control of both legislative chambers. Some Common Core opponents sought Friday to soften their bill's language — requiring legislative approval of reading and math standards in the future — in hopes of getting it out of committee.

"We either accomplish nothing or we accomplish something," said Rep. Amanda Grosserode, a Lenexa Republican critical of Common Core.

Rep. John Bradford, a Lansing Republican, noted that Kansas law requires the State Board of Education to update academic standards at least once every seven years, so that new reading and math guidelines must be completed by 2017. He said requiring legislative approval would stop Common Core.

But efforts to soften the bill didn't have the support of freshman Rep. Tony Barton, a Leavenworth Republican who displayed a stack of petitions against Common Core in committee. He said people want lawmakers to "get Common Core out of the state."

"I believe the constituents would have preferred getting rid of it now," Barton, who supported the bill without amendments, said after the committee's meeting.

The committee narrowly rejected two amendments to soften the bill's language. After the unchanged bill failed and the meeting ended, a frustrated Bradford told Barton, "We just got Common Core for another seven years."

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Online:

Anti-Common Core bill: http://bit.ly/18OrlNZ

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