COLUMBUS, Ohio – Republican lawmakers in the Ohio House are beginning a push to repeal Common Core learning standards by year’s end, citing widespread discontent they’re hearing from parents, teachers and communities.
Reps. Matt Huffman (R-Lima) and Andy Thompson (R-Marietta) say Ohio made a mistake four years ago in pursuing the standards and their legislation would seize back state control over the process.
“Americans view common core as an intrusion by the federal government into a very personal matter: the education of their children. This bill will work to address their concerns in order to find a solution,” Huffman said.
It’s unclear whether the “placeholder” bill could pass. Districts already are well on their way to implementing the standards, which have the backing of a diverse coalition including teachers’ unions and community and business groups.
Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper says a repeal would create chaos for school districts. She says some large urban districts have spent two years preparing for the launch.
Rep. Huffman indicated that hearings on the bill in the Rules Committee could start the second or third week of August.
The new bill would continue Thompson’s repeal efforts included in a previous measure that did not make it out of committee.
It also builds on a provision of the mid-biennium review which prohibited the state Education Department from adopting any future national standards for science and social studies.