Getting the Common Core Political Handicapping Right
Lots of coverage of the Common Core State Standards聽mentions聽polling showing that the standards’ opponents are聽only a minority of Americans. While that’s true, it misses a larger point about the political dynamics currently in play. :
Critics of the standards 鈥 like the mothers behind 鈥淩estore Oklahoma Public Education鈥 鈥 see this as a first-order, vote-determining political argument. Emmett McGroarty, education director at the conservative American Principles Project,聽聽that 鈥淐ommon Core has become a flashpoint election issue,鈥 and that may even understate matters a bit. For many of these folks, it has approximately the same political juice as traditionally polarizing issues like abortion and gun control. They don’t just oppose the Common Core 鈥 they loathe it intensely and scorn its supporters as deluded and even聽.听