Over the weekend, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) rejected an anti-Common Core bill, thus completing its 18-month exploration of the Common Core State Standards. This action reaffirmed ALEC’s position that states should be in charge of their education standards and supports the option for states to freely adopt Common Core.
By rejecting the bill, which would have tied the hands of state legislators, ALEC made clear its support of states raising student expectations through higher standards—working in consort with other states or working independently. This position is laid out in ALEC’s currentResolution Opposing Federal Intrusion in State Education Content Standards. The decision to work together to improve academic standards is a choice all 50 states have freely made, with 46 states adopting Common Core so far, and four states choosing not to adopt the standards.
Over recent years, we have seen several states successfully enact broad, pro-student reforms. In many of those states, the battles were tough and not for the faint of heart. And many policymakers have been wounded along the way. But now is not the time to shy away from serious reform. Rather, we must take this opportunity to push even harder against those who are content prolonging the status quo.
As ALEC concludes its discussions around Common Core, let’s take this time to remember what the larger picture is; we need to all work together and move forward with our shared goal of ensuring each child in America has access to the best education possible.
