David M. Drucker wrote an article entitled “Bobby Jindal Sues Obama Administration over Common Core” which was published on The Washington Examiner on August 27, 2014. The reporter explained that Louisiana’s governor Bobby Jindal sued the Obama administration over the Common Core State Standards or ObamaCore. Governor Jindal stated in his lawsuit that Common Core violated the 10th Amendment of the Constitution by subverting state sovereignty as Obama administration pressured states to adopt the standards in 2010. Jindal initially supported Common Core but changed his mind soon.
One day Governor Jindal was helping one of his children with the math homework using a textbook that incorporated the Common Core mathematics standards. He could not believe how horrible the math problems were in the textbook. The very next day he issued an executive order withdrawing his state of Louisiana from Common Core.
The Obama administration used $4.35 billion from the Stimulus Package to blackmail, pressure or motivate the states to adopt the terrible Common Core State Standards. From the very beginning five states rejected Common Core. They were Texas, Virginia, Alaska, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Later on seven states, such as Louisiana, rejected ObamaCore. The other six states that withdrew from Common Core were Indiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Maine. Four other states are considering withdrawing from ObamaCore. They are Mississippi, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Utah. Even the very liberal states of New York and Massachusetts have postponed the implementation of this monstrosity pushed hard by the Obama administration.
Jindal may run for president in 2016, and his lawsuit is popular with conservative and tea party activists as well as the vast majority of Republicans. Of all the potential Republican presidential candidates, only former Florida Governor Jeb Bush continues to support ObamaCore. He has already lost the support of the conservative base of the Republican Party not only in Florida but across the nation. This may hurt his chances to obtain the Republican presidential nomination for president in 2016. The National Republican Party passed a resolution condemning the Common Core State Standards.
Together with Pam Evans, I spoke against Common Core State Standards during a meeting of the Miami-Dade Republican Executive Committee on September 17, 2013. Similarly to the National Republican Party, the Miami-Dade Republican Party passed a resolution rejecting Common Core on that date. Interesting, Constitutional Day is celebrated by the nation on September 17. Thus, the Republican Party of Miami-Dade, on the day that the nation celebrates the blessings of our Constitutional Republic passed a resolution defending the Constitution of the United States.
I have spoken numerous times in conferences in various cities of Florida, and over the radio in Miami and Orlando, and on television explaining to the public how Common Core violates the Fourth and the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution and many federal laws. The United States Constitution and many federal laws prohibit the federal government to implant a curriculum on states.
I have written many articles against Common Core and my organization, Bear Witness Central, is part of a coalition of over 50 organizations which are actively seeking to eliminate Common Core from the Sunshine State. Additionally, I have a 29-page chapter entitled “Obama’s Destructive Common Core Curriculum and Standards” in my recent book, America in Decline (2014).
Unfortunately, Florida’s Governor Rick Scott has not rejected Common Core. Governor Scott may lose conservative support during his reelection campaign. Governor Rick Scott needs to stop listening to former Governor Jeb Bush and listen to the conservative people who enthusiastically supported him four years ago and who are completely opposed to the implementation of Common Core in Florida’s schools.
Recently, Governor Scott announced that he will name a panel to study Common Core and make recommendations to him regarding its implementation. Governor Scott does not need a panel to study the diabolical Common Core. He needs to do what Governor Jindal has done in Louisiana and what many other Republican governors have already done all over the United States. They have killed Common Core in their states.
As a loyal Republican Party member, I will vote for the reelection of Governor Scott in November 2014 since he has improved the economy, supported businesses, and created many new jobs. However, I would continue to work tirelessly on persuading Governor Scott and the members of Florida Legislature to abandon Common Core in Florida. Additionally, Bear Witness Central is working to persuade the bishops of Florida to reject Common Core in the Catholic schools of the their dioceses.
President Barack Obama’s national agenda for radically restructuring education in the nation has grown increasingly unpopular all over the country. Just like Governor Jindal, Republican governors have responded by rejecting the implementation of Common Core in their states as it violates not only the Constitution of the United States but also the Constitution of their states as well.
Governor Jindal stated the following: “The proponents of Common Core will tell you that it’s simply about one test and about standards, but that’s a ruse. Common Core is about controlling curriculum. Educators know that what’s tested is what’s taught. Make no mistake — Common Core tests will drive curriculum. Common Core supporters should own up to this fact and finally admit they want to control curriculum. These are big government elitists who believe they know better than parents and local school boards.”
Governor Jindal accurately realized the evil intent of the Obama administration. He said that “What started out as an innovative idea to create a set of baseline standards that could be ‘voluntarily’ used by the states has turned into a scheme by the federal government to nationalize curriculum.”
