“The primary committee amendment to the bill sets forth the principle that North Carolina by its constitution is responsible for the education of the citizens of the state and it will not cede or limit state control in exchange for federal funding for the public schools.” ~W. Kennedy

Wednesday, the North Carolina House passed a bill that would end the state’s involvement in Common Core educational standards, effectively nullifying its implementation within the state. The vote was 78-39.

House Bill 1061 (HB1061) went through two hectic days. On Tuesday, the House Education Committee rewrote the original bill removing a number of sections that Common Core opponents wanted out of the bill. They voted 27-16 to send the bill to the House floor, where it passed today on second and third readings.

Representatives opposing the bill on the House floor were worried that scrapping Common Core would leave North Carolina with no state standards for education. However, both primary sponsors of the bill, Reps. Larry Pittman and Michael Speciale assured the other members that that was not the case.

Common Core standards would continue to remain in place for the next year while North Carolina State Board of Education rewrites the standards for North Carolina’s schools. The reasoning behind the delay in scrapping Common Core is to smooth the transition back to a state-controlled curriculum. This would give the schools enough time to jettison the Common Core standards that have been foisted upon them without any undue harm being done to the development of students.

The primary committee amendment to the bill sets forth the principle that North Carolina by its constitution is responsible for the education of the citizens of the state and it will not cede or limit state control in exchange for federal funding for the public schools. Continue reading →