Congressman wrong about Common Core

Several weeks ago, I received an email from Representative Scott Garret that left me shocked and scratching my head. In that email, I was amazed that our representative to congress can be so unaware and uneducated about the federal government, from whom he draws his paycheck, and the manner in which we educate our children. Rep. Garret's email regarding the new Common Core Standards was filled with enough incorrect statements and deceitful questions that at first glance I assumed it was written by any number of political commentators who speak first and check the facts later.

A case in point is his statement that says "federal initiatives like Common Core put decision making power in the hands of Washington bureaucrats rather than in our communities." Mr Garret has obviously not done the most basic of research on the Common Core because the web page for the Common Core — that he provided a link to in his email — clearly states that the Common Core was a "STATE-led effort launched in 2009 by STATE leaders, including governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states, two territories and the District of Columbia, through their membership in the National Governors Assoc. Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief School Officers." In fact, the "contact us" link on the Common Core website takes you right to the National Governors Association website. I'm not sure how Rep. Garret could possibly read that and think that the Common Core is a federal initiative. Unless of course the public education that he received has failed him so miserably that he does not understand that governors are the elected leaders of the states and have little or no control over what the federal government does.

Rep. Garret's email shows further ignorance regarding the Common Core in that he touts a bill he has introduced in response to the Common Core that will be "offering states an opportunity to opt-out of all federal education programs." Again, if Representative Garrett has any understanding of the Common Core he would know that each state has to OPT-IN to the Common Core standards. New Jersey opted-in in June of 2010, under Gov. Christie becoming one of 45 governors who have led their states into the Common Core.

Finally, and possibly the most disappointing deceit in Rep. Garret's email is his survey at the end of the email where he asks the question "do you think the federal government should be able to dictate nationwide education standards?" He has just spent his entire email giving you incorrect information about the Common Core, how he is coming to the rescue with a bill designed to thwart those money grabbing Washington Bureaucrats and now he asks if we agree with him based on a number of fabrications? He wants to gauge the pulse of his constituents based on that? How can this man even claim to know what his constituents think when he feeds them such a big dose of BS and then asks a misleading question?

If Rep. Garret knew what was going on with the education of NJ's publicly educated students he would know that we are part of a country that ranks anywhere between 20th and 40th in the world when measuring math and science knowledge that our children have learned. He would know that conservative groups such as The Business Leaders Roundtable support the adoption and full implementation of the Common Core Standards. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, while not formally endorsing the Common Core, advocates for "rigorous academic standards that are aligned with college and career," which is exactly what the Common Core sets out to do and in language that mimics the Common Core's objectives.

The Common Core is a set of knowledge benchmarks that New Jersey has adopted and is now implementing. They are designed to get us focusing our children on some basic educational needs like being able to critically asses a written passage and focus on fractions as a foundation for a better understanding of algebra. It is up to the state, the individual school districts and teachers on how they reach those benchmarks. As one who has long advocated for a more rigorous education in my district, I support the Common Core as one more tool to help our children be prepared for the workplace and the challenges that life presents. Unfortunately, the Common Core has lost the media battle, both mainstream and social, to a bunch of so-called leaders and network talking heads who haven't even bothered to learn about the issue and what the Common Core does to address it. It only makes it worse when someone of Representative Garret's stature piles on to this stream of misinformation.

I am a volunteer on the Sussex-Wantage Board of Education and these views are mine and do not represent those of the board.

Bob Maikis
Wantage