Tennessee House members voted 97-0 Monday to repeal and replace the state’s Common Core education standards with a bill that enshrines Republican Gov. Bill Haslam’s current review process but adds a new 10-member commission to oversee it.
Republicans hope the bill, which is expected to come before the Senate today, will finally put to rest wide-spread criticism among the GOP’s base on the states-initiated Common Core standards for math and English language arts. The standards were later embraced by President Barack Obama.
Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, thanked Rep. Billy Spivey, R-Lewisburg, for his solution to a problem that has bedeviled majority Republicans for the past three years.
“It will once and for all put this state on the road to have Tennessee-based standards written by Tennesseans,” Hill said of Spivey’s solution, which Spivey once called an “epiphany.”
The bill allows Haslam to continue with his current review process, which includes a website in which teachers and other critics can raise their concerns, as well as panels of Tennessee-based experts and teachers.
But it now includes the new 10-member committee to which Haslam only gets four appointments. They would have to approve the changes and forward them on to the Haslam-appointed State Board of Education for final action.
Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville and Republican House Speaker Beth Harwell each get (continue reading)