It took less than four hours for the State Supreme Court to hand down its verdict on the bill to repeal common core.
KOSU’s Michael Cross reports despite opponents arguing the bill is an overreach of the state legislature, the Justices found it constitutional.
The plaintiff’s in opposition to House Bill 3399 said it allows lawmakers to micromanage education in Oklahoma, but the state contends the legislature is within its rights to oversee an agency.
Professional Oklahoma Educators wrote an amicus brief supporting HB 3399, and Executive Director Ginger Tinney supports the measure saying teachers and parents can start writing new standards.
“That’s what was missing in Common Core to begin with. We want teachers writing the standards. They know the developmental levels of children. They know what is critical in the day to day of instruction.”
But State Board of Education member Amy Ann Ford who opposes HB 3399 says Standards are already created through a consensus with educators and parent, but now it goes through 149 lawmakers for approval.
“The change that 3399 made was it took away my comfort in knowing that that is a consensus document. I could potentially have one maybe two individuals change that consensus document.”
Ford says she worries the new standards will take longer to implement with the legislature’s involvement.
The Supreme Court upheld the bill by an eight to one margin.
