Senate Rejects Bill Aimed at Killing Common Core

Voting Monday in the Arizona Senate on killing Common Core. The curriculum guideline was upheld, 16-13.

Arizona Senate

Arizona state senators rejected a bill Monday that would have eliminated Arizona's use of Common Core academic standards. The vote was 16-13.

“I am convinced that we can do better and I believe that we need to replace Common Core," Senate President Andy Biggs said. "I think we need to replace them with Arizona standards."

All votes in favor were from Republicans. Republican Sen. Jeff Dial, Adam Driggs, Steve Pierce and Bob Worsely joined 12 Democrats in favor of retaining Common Core. Democratic Sen. Barbara McGuire did not vote.

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, who said during last year's election campaign that he opposed Common Core, last week called on the Legislature not to repeal it. Instead, Ducey said, it should be considered by the Board of Education in a broader look at public school standards and testing.

Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas also campaigned last year in opposition to the standards. She has stuck by that in office, including trying to remove Board of Education employees who she said were in favor of the standards. Ducey reversed that.

Douglas and other Republicans have said they oppose Common Core because it involves the federal government in local educational decisions. They have said Arizona can and should create its own standards.

Former Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican who left office in January, championed Common Core standards, bringing them to the state and advocating for their implementation as part of her educational reform efforts.

Public schools in the state began implementing them two years ago, and the standards are fully in use throughout the K-12 system.

Common Core is a set of standards for reading, writing, math and science that push students to think critically and consider options rather than to memorize and pursue a single, definitive answer.

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