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State Senate Votes to Scrap Common Core But Faces a Likely Veto

Capitol Media Services file photo by Howard Fischer

The state Senate voted Tuesday to scrap the Common Core education standards the state and schools started putting in place just four years earlier. Arizona Public Radio’s Howard Fischer reports.

Common Core is designed to spell out what children should be taught at certain points, and testing them to be sure they have learned what they need. It also provides a way to compare Arizona schools to others across the nation. Sen. Al Melvin is unconvinced.

“Many citizens, I think the majority, have fundamental problems with Common Core and its implementation in the state and believe that we as a state can do a far better job in this area than the federal government dictating to us,” Melvin said.

That led to a question from Sen. David Bradley.

“What specific items in the Common Core are of concern to you?” Bradley asked.

Melvin provided no answer.

“I leave it to you, Senator Bradley, to find them,” Melvin said.

Supporters say these are not federal mandates, but instead were adopted by the National Governors Association — including Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. And gubernatorial press aide Andrew Wilder told Arizona Public Radio his boss might veto the bill saying she would have “serious concerns with any legislation that endorses mediocrity by lowering the expectations for Arizona students.”

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