Writer Pans Anti-Federal Opposition To Common Core

In a column in the Deseret (UT) Morning News (5/26), John Florez wrote that the introduction of the Common Core Standards, which were devised after "years of study" and stem from "a concerted effort to renew America's ability to maintain a competitive edge in today's global economy," have been met with the opposition of "Chicken Littles," who "came out with the usual cry, 'The feds are taking over.'" Florez argues that anti-Federal ideologies are poised to stymie US economic competitiveness, adding, "America needs to have a Common Core of educational standards that are world class if our students are to make it in the new world yet to be discovered." He concedes that the common core is "a work in progress," but calls for stakeholders to "work together to build upon them so they meet our state's needs."