Governor Walker polarizes legislators with call to repeal Common Core
MADISON -- We're finally hearing some rational from Governor Walker, but that's not stopping some people from saying this has nothing to do with education, and everything to do with politics.
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\"The standards that were adopted before I came in were set by people from outside of the state. I've heard repeatedly from all different sorts of people in the state that they don't want standards set from outside Wisconsin.” Walker said.
10.0pt;font-family:\"Microsoft Sans Serif\",\"sans-serif\"\">He made that comment while at an event in Appleton Friday. That's the reasoning he gave for why he wants legislators to get rid of Common Core Standards in Wisconsin.
10.0pt;font-family:\"Microsoft Sans Serif\",\"sans-serif\"\">Republicans, like Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and southeast Wisconsin senators Leah Vukmir and Paul Farrow, are supporting Walker's call. They say it will be good for schools to eliminate them.
10.0pt;font-family:\"Microsoft Sans Serif\",\"sans-serif\"\">But a spokesman for Democratic candidate for governor, Mary Burke, is critical of Walker saying, “This is a desperate election year move by a career politician to shore up his extreme right wing base.\" said Burke’s campaign communications director, Joe Zepecki.
10.0pt;font-family:\"Microsoft Sans Serif\",\"sans-serif\"\">Democratic State Representative Fred Clark, a member of the Committee on Education, echoes that statement.
10.0pt;font-family:\"Microsoft Sans Serif\",\"sans-serif\"\">\"This is crazy talk. This is pandering to the extreme right wing of the Tea Party, nothing more.\" Clark said.
10.0pt;font-family:\"Microsoft Sans Serif\",\"sans-serif\"\">Clark also says he's sat in on meetings with hundreds of teachers and administrators over the last few years and says hasn't heard a single criticism of the actual standards.
10.0pt;font-family:\"Microsoft Sans Serif\",\"sans-serif\"\">“What you hear are this is a federal plot to take over education. And the critics of Common Core don't like it because they believe the Obama administration is behind it.\" Clark said.