Gov. Haslam: Common Core review doesn't signal retreat

photo Gov. Bill Haslam discusses the Common Core State Standards during a meeting with local educators at Indian Trail Intermediate School.

PULASKI, Tenn. - Republican Gov. Bill Haslam on Thursday insisted that his decision this week to hold a public review of Common Core doesn't signal a retreat from the education standards in view of heavy criticism from teachers and tea party groups.

Haslam, in a luncheon Rotary Club meeting at a Pulaski bank, said he wants to clear up what he called misconceptions about Common Core, but stressed that he's not backing off more rigorous math and language requirements.

"My commitment is to say we're not moving on standards," Haslam said.

Common Core is a set of English and math standards that spell out what students should know and when, and they are intended to provide students with the critical thinking, problem solving and writing skills needed for college and the workforce.

The governor a day earlier announced the formation of panels to review the math and English components of the Common Core standards, and to report their recommendations at the end of next year. That's months after state Legislature, where some lawmakers are calling for a full repeal, concludes its annual session.

The move comes amid mounting political pressure about the standards. Tea party groups have derided Common Core as government overreach, while some teachers groups have complained that the standards rely too heavily on student test scores. The scores are, in turn, used to evaluate teacher performance.

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During this year's legislative session, Haslam faced an insurrection among lawmakers from his own party over Common Core and related testing requirements. Tea party-leaning Republicans in the House led the effort to delay implementation by two years, though Haslam managed to turn most of those changes back after a concerted public relations campaign.

"Unfortunately there's a lot of misconception that's grown up around it," Haslam said in his Rotary speech, adding that more rigorous standards in Tennessee have been followed by improved scores on national tests. "We're seeing real progress in Tennessee and shouldn't back up."

Last year, results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed Tennessee students leading the nation in academic improvement.

Haslam, who faces little serious opposition in next month's election, said he's open to specific changes to the standards - as long as they're based on academic needs.

"Quite frankly, I can't tell you exactly at what age a child should be able to multiply fractions, but let's bring out those professionals who can," Haslam said.

Governors in several other states that originally embraced Common Core have since taken steps back away from the standards as they have come into the political crosshairs. One popular option has been to rebrand them as state-specific standards.

Haslam said after the event that he sees little utility in renaming Tennessee's standards.

"We wouldn't go through all this exercise just to give it a new name," Haslam said. "We could have done that before."

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