NC Senate votes out Common Core, McCrory says decision not a smart move

Published June 6, 2014

by John Frank, News and Observer, June 5, 2014.

Gov. Pat McCrory said the Republican-driven bill to repeal the Common Core education standards “is not a smart move,” using his strongest language yet to warn against an effort pushed by conservatives in his own party.

“These are things we need to correct and recognize,” he said, citing concerns with implementation and testing in remarks at a Raleigh meeting of the N.C. Business Committee for Education, a group that supports the standards. “But again, you don’t just throw out the whole thing if you have some minor issues you need to fix. We are trying to get some of the language out of the current bills in which we toss the whole thing out with no replacement.”

McCrory’s remarks came at the same time the Senate pushed ahead with its legislation, voting 33-15 to approve the measure, which replaces the math and language arts goals in North Carolina schools. The House approved a different version Wednesday. The two will eventually need to reconcile the differences before the bill gets to McCrory.

In an interview after the speech, the governor declined to say whether he would veto the bill, saying his administration is working with the House and Senate on the legislation. “The process is not over,” he said. “We’re active in that process so hopefully I don’t have the decision to make.”

Speaking during the debate, Senate Republican leader Harry Brown said the Common Core repeal bill just “makes good sense.”

But the bill’s critics cited the business community’s support for the standards. “An amazing array of people are committed to Common Core,” said Sen. Floyd McKissick, a Durham Democrat. “It’s not time for us to back away.”