Opponents of the Common Core State Standards headed to Tallahassee Thursday morning to voice their support of two bills geared to eliminate state-mandated assessment tests and place curriculum control in the hands of local districts.
Nearly 100 Common Core opponents gathered on the top floor of Floridas Capitol for the Florida Citizens Alliance March for The March for Children, a rally to boost support for two new bills addressing some of the most pressing education issues in Florida this year.
Opponents of Common Core came from nearly all corners of the state, with some driving up to eight hours just to show up at Thursdays event.
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.
If anything was certain from Thursdays rally, it was that the anti-Common Core movement will not go down without a fight.
For nearly two hours, The March for Children honed in on what opponents see as a set of standards muddled with problems, both in terms of whats being taught and how it affects students.
Middle-school student Sophia Foe testified of her own firsthand experience with Common Core. She said the standards have adversely affected her own academic success -- before Common Core came around, she was a straight-"A" student at her school in Ohio.
Once she got to Florida, she began to struggle academically. Her own background with the standards prompted her to pen a letter to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., about curriculum.
Common Core doesn't seem to appeal to a lot of people, she said, adding she didnt believe the federal government needed to dictate whats being taught in schools.
I suggest we do something about that, like defunding it," she explained.
Legislators supporting the bills attended Thursdays event, bolstering crowd support and firing up opponents of Common Core.
Sen. Evers has become somewhat synonymous with promoting education issues, but he advised attendees he couldnt be successful on his own.
This bill will not pass unless other senators and reps get on board, he said, advising opponents of the standards to talk to every legislator about his bill. "If you don't, the bill will fall on its own weight."
Sen. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, signed on as a co-sponsor of Evers bill on Thursday, speaking out strongly against high-stakes tests.
"Standardized testing ... has penalized the children, he said.
Not only did attendees express their disdain for the controversial education standards, but they also took aim at politicians known for supporting them.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush, who has championed the standards in recent years, was a prime target on Thursday. Bush has been harshly criticized over his support for Common Core, which has already caused rifts in his home state of Florida.
"The notion we would even consider such a man for candidate for president of the United States ... is absolutely mind-boggling, said Chris Hall, adding if anyone supported the monstrosity of Common Core they would be complicit in Bushs evil.
Supporters of the legislation say theres something for everyone in the bills, which should make them a no-brainer to pass.
There is something for everyone to love in this bill, said Chris Quackenbush of Stop Common Core Florida, explaining the importance of putting children first in education. "Our kids matter."
Reach Tampa-based reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen
