Richard Evans, Republican candidate for the District 43 State House seat, has noted his opposition to Common Core.
"Except for a few general guidelines, I believe that all government should allow school choice, empower parents, reward teachers and skip all the social engineering," Evans said. "The school model of getting everyone up, on the bus, and then wasting time with assemblies and other mandate-imposed fluff have a negative impact on the teaching time."
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The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Initiative was launched in 2009. The goal was to implement consistent educational standards for all students. By standardizing the learning standards, children in California and in Illinois maintain the same proficiency level from kindergarten to graduation. By December 2013, 45 states and several U.S. territories adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English Language Arts (ELA)/literacy and math.
Seven states -- Alaska, Indiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia -- did not adopt the initiative, while Minnesota only adopted the ELA standards.
After a report published in the educational journal Education Next showed that the states in the consortia that develops tests for the CCSS saw a 62 percent decline in participation, questions arose concerning Common Core and education in Illinois.
Evans said private schools provide better results than public schools, with many students going on to colleges and universities. Evans is calling for other educational solutions for Illinois' children.
"Why does St. Ed's High School get great results and only spends one-third of the money per student as U 46 in general?" Evans said. "Faith-based schools and charter schools, and apprenticeships that form relationships with individual students, may be part of a broader solution."
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