Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota, Dict. 72
Local legislator breaks ranks to oppose Common Core education standards
Herald Tribune
August 21, 2013
While Gov. Rick Scott and other elected officials seek to quell unrest over new statewide educational standards in the works, a Sarasota legislator has broken ranks, vowing to help kill the new program called Common Core.
State Rep. Ray Pilon, R-Sarasota, took to social media this week to call for repealing Common Core, saying it includes nationwide standards that would require standardized testing that has not been fully developed.
“My vote is going to be get rid of it,” Pilon wrote on his Facebook page, to the joy of some parents groups that have been pushing him to oppose the standards.
In a subsequent interview, Pilon said he knows that his stance puts him out of step with the region’s legislative delegation and former Gov. Jeb Bush, who support the standards and testing. Despite arguments in favor of the Common Core program, he said he disagrees with a national attempt to influence educational standards that should really be left up to locals.
“I’m not buying it,” Pilon said of the standards.
Pilon also contended the Common Core standards would result in a curriculum that allows students to get credit for getting wrong answers if they show how they got their answers — a claim supporters of Common Core say is not accurate.
...
Full Story:
http://politics.heraldtribune.com/2...ks-to-oppose-common-core-education-standards/
