Senate hopeful and former state Rep. Doug Holder wants Floridians to vote for him because he fought against Common Core, but anti-Common Core activists say that’s not the case.
In a mailer obtained by Sunshine State News, Holder claims he was a “fighter” to abolish Common Core and “create sensible Florida standards” for Florida students.
The mailer, which was paid for by his political committee Floridians for Equitable Government, goes on to say Holder will promote local control and limit standardized testing, support parental choice and promote high standards to prepare students for careers.
Florida anti-Common Core groups seem puzzled by the mailer, however, since they don’t recall Holder being involved in their anti-Common Core movement over the years.
“I can personally attest that Holder has NEVER been involved in any anti-Common Core efforts in this state,” said Karen Effrem, executive director of Florida Stop Common Core Coalition.
Effrem’s group isn’t the only one not familiar with Holder’s involvement in fighting against Common Core.
“I have never seen this guy speak great education reform policy, speak education as a priority in Florida or sponsor bills that demonstrate a commitment to best practices for students or an embracement of parental empowerment,” said Luz Gonzalez of Florida Parents Against Common Core.
Holder served in the Florida House from 2006 through 2014, the same year Florida fully implemented the Florida Standards, a set of educational standards derived from Common Core.
Florida lawmakers have filed several bills over the years to pause the implementation of CCSS, give the state control over the standards and even allow districts their choice of an assessment test.
Holder’s name hadn’t appeared as a sponsor for any of the legislation anti-Common Core groups say truly aimed to reel in the Common Core over the years, though.
Holder spokesperson Lori Hutto told Sunshine State News the former state representative voted for a few bills to end Common Core in Florida, limit data collection and repeal testing, but Holder did not sponsor any of those bills himself.
Simply voting for legislation doesn't mean much, say anti-CCSS groups.
“As you can see Holder’s name is nowhere,” said Effrem. “He voted yes for the bills that merely renamed the standards, but that is it.”
A name that did show up on many bills on anti-Common Core groups’ radar was Rep. Ray Pilon’s, a Sarasota Republican who is one of the candidates facing off against Holder in the SD23 primary.
Pilon told Sunshine State News he had teamed up with Rep. Debbie Mayfield, R-Vero Beach, in several of her endeavors to battle the standards over the years.
“I was engaged [in the fight] and supported Mayfield,” he explained.
Campaign mailers, he said, often happen to paint an inaccurate picture.
“Anybody can go out and say I was a champion of this...but the average citizen doesn’t know [what’s true],” said Pilon. “And that’s a sad scenario for the state of mailers.”
Holder isn’t the only Senate hopeful to say he’s been a leader against Common Core with no real legislation to back it up. Rep. Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne, came under fire earlier this summer for similar allegations that he, too, was a “leader” in the fight against Common Core. Anti-Common Core groups also rejected Workman's claims he had fought against the standards in Florida.
See the mailer below.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
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