Florida Senate President Don Gaetz wants lawmakers to have the facts on Common Core State Standards before they pass judgment, according to Jeffrey Solochek of The Gradebook.
Gaetz sent a series of documents to all members about the new educational standards instituted statewide by the 2014-15 school year. Many Republican legislators have voiced strong disapproval of Florida’s participation in the nationwide model, already adopted in a majority of states.
The goal of the material, which includes fact sheets and copies of the standards, is to “separate fact from fiction,” Senate Education Committee chair John Legg told the Times. In a memo to legislators, Legg said it is to provide “clear, factual information about Florida’s education policies in order to assist you with constituent inquiries and responses.”
“We found some of them don’t even have copies of the standards,” Legg added. “If senators have problems with a specific standard, great, let’s highlight it and address that standard.”
Although Florida pledged to adopt Common Core three years ago, Vero Beach Republican Rep. Debbie Mayfield has filed a bill for the state to stop using the standards.
Legg also said that Florida is not obliged to implement a specific curriculum, something different from adopting standards, and any testing associated with Common Core is “still in flux.”
