GOP Congressional Hopeful Mary Thomas Signs Pledge to Repeal Common Core

Running for the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, D-Fla., in 2016, Tallahassee attorney Mary Thomas signed conservative group Eagle Forum’s  “Stop Common Core Pledge.”

"Federal control over our education system has failed,” Thomas said on Monday. “It's failed our students, their parents, their communities and it's failed the taxpayers. Let's eliminate the Department of Education and let local communities and families make the education choices that are right for them. Let's repeal Common Core once and for all."

The pledge reads:

I pledge to: oppose Common Core in all its forms and no matter what name it is given; limit or eliminate the various aspects of Common Core that are currently being implemented including, but not limited to, data collection, directed vocational education, and nationalized assessments/standards (e.g. PARCC and Smarter Balanced); and make public my opposition to Common Core.

Thomas is running against Dr. Neal Dunn in the Republican primary.