Anti-High-Stakes Testing Group to Take on Capitol

Groups opposing high-stakes testing and the Common Core State Standards will be hitting Florida's Capitol Thursday morning to promote two bills which would limit testing and expand options for education standards in the Sunshine State.

The two bills -- SB 1496, filed by Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker, and HB 1121, filed by Rep. John Tobia, R-Melbourne Beach, would allow school districts to select English-language arts and math standards from a pre-2009 "best of breed" list and would also eliminate mandatory statewide testing.

The Florida Citizens Alliance will meet in Tallahassee Thursday for "The March for Children," an event designed to bring constituents and legislators together for "a meaningful discussion" about the current state of Florida's schools.

Attendees will also discuss ways to stop high-stakes testing against Florida students.

This is truly a grass roots solution to the convoluted and oppressive testing and federal overreach problems that have plagued schools and destroyed the love of learning, said Keith Flaugh, one of FLCA's founding directors.

This bill is one small step toward reinstituting local control of Florida schools, and one giant leap for the right of children to be educated in a safe, nonideological, and effective manner," said Duke Pesta, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh assistant professor and anti-Common Core activist.

The event begins at 11 a.m. in the Capitol rotunda.