March 28, 2024

Gov. Scott signs three Common Core bills

TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott’s office announced Monday he had signed a trio of bills aimed at allaying fears about the state’s version of the Common Core education standards.

Scott also signed another education bill dealing with school grades.

According to Scott’s office, the three Common Core-related measures he signed Monday included:

SB 864, which requires school districts to set up a process through which parents can contest the selection of certain textbooks and classroom materials.

HB 7031, which among other things removes all references to “Common Core” from state law. A set of state standards based on Common Core and using the overwhelming majority of the Common Core standards would remain in place.

SB 188, a bill barring schools or school districts from collecting biometric and other personal information.

Each of the bills addresses one of the concerns raised by activists, mostly but not exclusively conservatives, who have slammed Common Core.

“The legislation I am signing today will set Florida students and families up for education success and prevent unnecessary collection of data from our students and reaffirm that Florida school boards will select the textbooks with historic opportunities for public input,” Scott said in a statement announcing the signings.

Conservatives have criticized the standards, which were commissioned by the governors and chief education officials of dozens of states, as a federal intrusion into school operations that should be handled locally.

That plan, modeled on a blueprint developed by Stewart, would simplify the formula for grading schools.

It would also do away with the penalties schools could currently receive for the grades assigned in the 2014-15 school year, a plan meant to provide a transition year as schools adjust to the new standards and tests.

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