Papers Defend Common Core

An editorial in the Tennessean (5/5) takes note of recent opposition to the Common Core Standards from "throngs of upset parents," refuting suggestions that the standards were developed clandestinely or foisted on the state by the Federal government. The piece notes that Tennessee was among the states that spearheaded the process, adding that this effort "predates Race to the Top and its hundreds of millions of dollars - but that doesn't stop Core opponents from claiming it's just bribe money to persuade states to join the federal conspiracy."

Meanwhile, an editorial in the Spokane (WA) Spokesman-Review (5/4) says that the standards "have been discussed, debated and adopted in 45 states since 2009, but apparently this news bypassed some people who want to thwart implementation before getting up to speed." The piece notes the state-level origins of the Common Core, and notes the support of the business community. The paper laments, "Common Core has been smeared as a federal effort to ensure that all schools are the same and that the students become indoctrinated with liberal dogma," and pans commentators for making spurious clams about the Common Core.