Editors Note: This is a guest post by Melanie Kurdys.
In late February, Rep. Gary Glenn (R-Midland) and Senator Patrick Colbeck (R- Canton) introduced legislation ( SB826 and HB5444) to repeal and replace Common Core in Michigan.
Currently, thirty-two Michigan representatives and six Senators co-sponsored the bills. Their support is greatly appreciated. Few bills enjoy this level of bi-partisan support. Likely, it is a reflection of constituency concerns. This is an election year and lawmakers know that voters do NOT want Common Core in Michigan’s schools.
Common Core is impacting our children and teachers every day. The evidence continues to grow that Common Core is not good for children. Parents and teachers continue to speak out. Truly, for the sake of our children, this issue must be resolved as quickly as possible. Will ivory tower “experts” be permitted to continue their unproven experiment on our children? Or will we change direction and get on track with the proven, best in class replacement?
Having a bill written and sponsored is just the beginning of the repeal process. The bill must be put on the respective Education Committees’ agendas. This decision rests with the committee chairs. Will Senator Phil Pavlov and Representative Amanda Price give the bill a fair hearing in a timely manner? Will they even give it a hearing? We understand that the legislative process can be slow but the swiftness with which the legislature has moved on other bills causes us to wonder why they would delay on a bill that has widespread support in the legislature and with parents across the state.
The last time we debated Common Core in Michigan, Governor Snyder and Lt. Gov. Brian Calley strong-armed representatives and senators, causing them to vote against their own constituents. Will this happen again? The House had a roll-call vote that haunts many representatives today. If given the opportunity to show a change of heart, will they? The Senate learned from the mistake in the House and gaveled it through with a voice vote. Few Senators admitted where they stood. Senator Pavlov, chair of the Education committee, has yet to even inform us about his current position on Common Core or this bill. Common Core was adopted in 2010, it’s now 2016. How can the Senate Chair of the education committee NOT have a position on Common Core?
Are Governor Snyder and Lt. Gov. Calley once again exercising their opposition and pressuring the Education chairs NOT to put the Repeal & Replace Common Core bill on the agenda thus protecting all sitting legislators from ever actually being accountable to the public?
Common Core has become a political hot potato in the national election debate, nearly every candidate running for re-election claims to be against it. Even supporters like Jeb Bush and John Kasich have suggested all they really support is high standards. Repealing and replacing common core MUST be done in the states.
The bottom line question is this: Are our politicians and elected officials making another campaign promise that will just be broken or forgotten after their next election? Will they continue to stand with corporate lobbyists and DC educrats that pretend to be for children? Or will they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with parents whose children will be affected by the disastrous common core?
Please continue to contact Senator Pavlov and Representative Price and tell them to hold hearings in their respective Education Committes on SB826 and HB5444.
Senator Pavlov is the chair of the Senate Education committee. Strong, but respectfully urge him to move this important bill forward to a vote in his committee. A phone call has 10x the impact of an email. His phone number is: 517-373-7708.
Representative Amanda Price is the chair of the House Education Committee: Strongly, but respectfully urge her to move this important bill forward to a vote in her committee. Her phone number is 517-373-0838