CHARLESTON, W.Va. — State education officials should decide what the state’s students learn in school. So say supporters of the bill to repeal Common Core standards, also called West Virginia’s Next Generation standards, that is now pending in the full House of Delegates.
Dr. Michael Martirano, state superintendent of schools, said he has serious concerns about the proposed bill which would toss the national standards that first started being implemented incrementally in the Mountain State back in 2010.
“We go through that in a very methodical way,” Martirano said on Wednesday’s MetroNews “Talkline” of the development of what students learn. “You don’t remove standards and change standards every other year. That’s something we want to stay the course on.”
In general, Common Core is set of academic standards for math and language arts outlining what students should know and be able to do at the end of each grade.
The proposed bill is based on what lawmakers have said is an “inappropriate usurpation of state sovereignty over public education.”
“‘We’re tired of change’ is not a reason to stick with a standard that is clearly not working for West Virginia students,” argued House Education Committee Chair Amanda Pasdon (R-Monongalia, 51) after her committee approved the repeal of Common Core, HB 2934, on Wednesday.
The bill requires a comprehensive review of the state standards, including the appointment of a stakeholder body with legislator participation and town hall meetings, “to ensure that West Virginia has adequate and appropriately aligned College and Career Ready Standards.”
“It sets up a framework to allow an avenue for West Virginia parents, teachers, students to be involved in revising standards to meet College and Career Ready Standards, but adequately reflects West Virginia standards,” Pasdon said.
Martirano said there are differences between “standards” and “curriculum.”
“The standards of which we’re talking about are developed, we’ve adapted them as the Next Generation Standards for West Virginia, but the local control is in terms of that curriculum that is delivered,” he said.
“The standards have to have a clear road map to how do we get to the end. By the end of that, pre-K through 12 experience, what do we want our children to know? And then how are we going to provide it is the curriculum.”
The Common Core repeal bill would suspend the use of most summative statewide assessments until the 2016-2017 school year.
Alaska, Texas, Nebraska and Virginia are the only states that have not adopted any Common Core standards. Oklahoma, Indiana and South Carolina initially adopted Common Core standards in 2010 but those adoptions were withdrawn last year.
Both Pasdon and Martirano were guests on Wednesday’s MetroNews “Talkline” which originated from the State Capitol where the 2015 Regular Legislative Session continues through March 14.