INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana on Monday became the first state to withdraw from the Common Core math and reading standards that outline what students should be learning, capitalizing on a conservative backlash but leaving some critics wondering whether the state is leaving the program in name only.
Indiana was among 45 states that adopted Common Core in the last few years, but some conservatives have since criticized the initiative as a top-down takeover of local schools
In signing legislation Monday to pull Indiana from the program, Republican Gov. Mike Pence said he believes the state's students are best served by education decisions made at the state and local level. The Republican-controlled Legislature had previously approved the measure requiring the State Board of Education to draft new standards outlining what students should be learning in each grade.
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