Common Core

A bill introduced by state Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, would repeal the Common Core standards recently put in place in Alabama’s public schools.

A coalition of business leaders, parents, teachers and civic organizations is asking the legislature to not even take up this bill, however. They have come together as GRIT, which stands for Graduate Ready Impact Tomorrow. Thirty-three organizations statewide are members of GRIT and all support the standards. Among them are the Alabama Association of School Boards, A+ Education Partnership, Alabama Literacy Alliance, Alabma PTA, Business Council of Alabama, Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama, Manufacture Alabama, School Superintendents of Alabama, and VOICES for Alabama’s Children.

Common Core sets standards for math and English proficiency. It was developed as an initiative of the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Common Core was a response to studies that showed 28 percent of high school graduates nationwide were not prepared for college math or English. Common Core standards now have been adopted by 45 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories. Make that 44 states if Sen. Beason gets his way.

Common Core is not a curriculum. It sets standards and concepts every student should know at each grade level in math and English in order to be competitve nationally and worldwide. It is up to state boards of education and local school boards and teachers to decide how to get there.

The reason every major business group in the state supports the standards is obvious. They want Alabama’s future workforce to have the skills and competencies that graduates elsewhere have.

All of our legislators say they are committed to enabling business and creating jobs. If Common Core does come to a vote, we’ll find out whether or not that’s just talk.