State Lawmakers Look To Get Common Core Discussions Back On Track

A state House panel will hold its third hearing Wednesday on a set of nation-wide school standards.

As The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher reports, some prominent voices in the national school reform debate are weighing in on whether the state should implement the Common Core standards.

National education activist Diane Ravitch is expected to tell state lawmakers not to implement the standards. She and other opponents say they take away local control and have not been proven to improve student performance.

But state education officials and business groups will also testify at the hearing in favor of the Common Core. They say more Michigan students will be ready for college and careers with the standards in place.

The state Board of Education adopted the Common Core in 2010. But lawmakers halted the implementation of the standards this year, saying they needed time to review them.

The state House panel is expected to make its recommendation to the Legislature before October 1st.