Georgians will vote in their political party runoff elections on Tuesday to select their state school superintendent nominee for the November general election. Most political observers agree that the winner of the Republican runoff – either educators Richard Woods or Mike Buck— should have the edge over the Democrat nominee in the fall campaign.
The superintendent, of course, runs the day-to-day operations of the far-flung public school system. Whoever wins the GOP nod will also have a big say in recommending if the Peach State sticks with the controversial Common Core kindergarten-through-12th grade English and math standards. Common Core is tied to President Barack Obama’s Race to the Top grant. So, in exchange for surrendering state control over English and math, Georgia is to receive $100 million a year from the feds for four years for implementation. Assisting Barge with implementation is candidate Buck, who is the state Department of Education’s chief academic officer.
Bear in mind this process is being done without the consent of Georgia’s taxpayers and their elected lawmakers and certainly not with the consent of parent and teachers. Also remember that Gov. Nathan Deal has concerns over whether Common Core is the right fit, which is why he asked the state School Board to hold hearings this summer featuring proponents and opponents. (Three states, by the way, have already decided to opt out of Common Core.)
Remember, too, that the superintendent doesn’t have the last say on policy decisions. The state School Board would ultimately have to vote on whether to ditch or continue Common Core. Board members understand that Common Core isn’t actually a curriculum; it is a set of standards, a series of bars students in Georgia and across the country are expected to clear. However, Board members are also becoming aware that Georgia’s curriculum is being altered to make sure the students can meet the new standards.
On the eve of the state Board hearings, dozens of teachers have told this writer that the previous standards were more rigorous. In fact, the only mathematician on the national Common Core Validation Committee said it is “almost a joke” to think students educated under Common Core would be prepared for math at a university. Education expert Dr. Sandra Stotsky, who developed Massachusetts’ highly-praised standards, estimates that by the eighth grade U.S. math students will be two years behind their counterparts in high-achieving countries. She also says that the English standards implemented in her state under Common Core, which before were strong on literature, are now badly weakened.
In spite of such criticism, candidate Buck says he is “strongly supportive of our current educational standards for many reasons.” He notes support ranging from leaders in Georgia’s business and education establishment. “If we stay the course and implement the standards with fidelity, we will see improved outcomes for our students,” he claims.
Candidate Woods, a one-time “teacher of the year” and former school-level administrator, says he believes “in common sense over Common Core” and rejects “unfunded mandates.” In an interview with this writer, he prefers the previous state standards and is “committed to child-focused and classroom-centered decision-making that will put an end to Washington micromanaging.”
This race deserves far more attention in the media than it is receiving.
