Walker Says He’s Still Against Common Core, Even As He Walks Back Calls For Repeal

Governor Called For Repeal During Last Term And On Campaign Trail

By
Gov. Scott Walker. Photo: Wisconsin National Guard (CC-BY-NC-ND).

Gov. Scott Walker says his position on Common Core is mostly unchanged, even as he backtracks from plans to revamp the education standards.

During Walker’s first year in office, the governor worked with the Department of Public Instruction to implement the national Common Core standards. Last session, he backed a bill that would have created new state-based standards instead, and during his gubernatorial campaign he called for Common Core’s full repeal.

Walker now says his position is still the same, but he’s backing away from his call for new state standards after hearing from stakeholders.

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“They want parents, taxpayers, educators at the local school district to be able to determine what their standards are, and not have them dictated to them by someone either at the national or at the state level,” said Walker.

That would let local schools keep Common Core standards if they want to, a choice many districts will likely make given the time and money they’ve spent preparing for them.