Common Core Draws Tom Rooney's Fire

U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., announced on Monday he was a co-sponsor of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilsons, R-S.C., Local Control of Education Act which would stop the Obama administration from making states adopt a specific curriculum, and would void any previous federal requirements established for states that have already adopted Common Core.

Rooney explained why he was backing the bill on Monday.

The federal government has no constitutional business setting the curriculum for a teacher in a Florida classroom, Rooney said. If states, of their own volition, want to adopt a certain set of standards, then thats their prerogative. I believe in states rights. However, the federal government should not be using carrots and sticks to coerce states into adopting Common Core or any other curriculum passed down from on high in Washington.

I believe Floridas teachers, principals and parents know our students and their needs better than any bureaucrat in Washington does, and decisions about education and curriculum need to be made as close to the student and teacher as possible, Rooney added. Our bill restores local control over education by prohibiting the federal government from using grants or waivers to coerce, mandate or incentivize states into adopting Common Core or other similar standards.

Rooney said the Obama administration has used waivers from No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top funds to push states into embracing Common Core.