{"id":19575,"date":"2013-07-22T10:26:15","date_gmt":"2013-07-22T14:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/?p=19575"},"modified":"2013-07-22T10:47:54","modified_gmt":"2013-07-22T14:47:54","slug":"florida-supporters-and-opponents-race-to-explain-common-core","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/2013\/07\/22\/florida-supporters-and-opponents-race-to-explain-common-core\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida Supporters And Opponents Race To Explain Common Core"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_19585\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Florida Parents Against Common Core protested a national meeting discussing the standards in Orlando last month.\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/07\/7-22-CCProtestWide.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-19585\" alt=\"Florida Parents Against Common Core protested a national meeting discussing the standards in Orlando last month.\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/07\/7-22-CCProtestWide-300x224.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/07\/7-22-CCProtestWide-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/07\/7-22-CCProtestWide-620x463.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/07\/7-22-CCProtestWide.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Courtesy of Laura Zorc<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Florida Parents Against Common Core protested a national meeting discussing the standards in Orlando last month.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>When Gov. Rick Scott and Education Commissioner Tony Bennett met with school superintendents in April, Florida\u2019s new education standards led the questions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s start with Common Core,&#8221; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.martinschools.org\/pages\/Martin_County_School_District\/General_Info\/Miscellaneous\/Super\">said Martin County superintendent Laurie Gaylord<\/a>. \u201cWe recently held a Common Core workshop for our school board and our community and we got picketed&#8230;So I guess I\u2019m reaching out so that we can have the same message for all of us throughout the state &#8212; if there\u2019s a marketing-type plan to be able to help us.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Common Core is supposed to prepare students better for college or a career. Teachers will cover fewer topics, but spend more time on each one. And students will spend less time memorizing facts and more time learning to analyze and explain things.<\/p>\n<p>Florida is one of 45 states that has adopted new math, English and literacy standards known as Common Core.<\/p>\n<p>A poll last year by the nonprofit group Achieve found <a href=\"http:\/\/www.achieve.org\/files\/GrowingAwarenessGrowingSupportreportFINAL72012.pdf\">just one in five people<\/a> had heard at least \u201csome\u201d things about Common Core.<\/p>\n\n<p>Common Core supporters are trying to educate parents about what\u2019s new in the standards and why they will improve schools.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents are trying to halt the new standards before they are used in every state classroom when the school year begins in 2014. They say the standards are no improvement and worry the multi-state project will mean the loss of local control. Others worry Common Core will increase testing and cost more.<\/p>\n<p>Both sides are in a public relations race to reach those who don\u2019t know about the standards first.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h4>&#8220;We Will Be Getting Out Talking Points&#8221;<\/h4>\n<p>Bennett understands bad public relations. Common Core\u2019s unpopularity in Indiana is one reason why he lost a reelection campaign there last November.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content alignleft\"><h4 class=\"related-header\">Related<\/h4><div class=\"links\"><h5>Posts<\/h5><ul><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/2013\/07\/05\/why-one-principal-thinks-the-common-core-is-part-of-an-equitable-education\/\">Why One Principal Thinks The Common Core Is Part Of An Equitable Education<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/2013\/07\/01\/union-worried-testing-could-cause-public-to-turn-on-common-standards\/\">Union Worried Testing Could Cause Public To Turn On Common Standards<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/2013\/06\/28\/common-core-opponents-expecting-protesters-from-across-the-state\/\">Common Core Opponents Expecting Protesters From Across The State<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/2013\/06\/24\/why-an-educator-is-worried-common-standards-might-squeeze-out-science\/\">Why An Educator Is Worried Common Standards Might Squeeze Out Science<\/a><\/li><li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/2013\/06\/20\/how-florida-administrators-are-preparing-for-common-core\/\">How Florida Administrators Are Preparing For Common Core<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"topics\"><h5>Topics<\/h5><p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/01\/2-20-CommonCoreApple.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/topic\/common-core\/\">Your Essential Guide To The Common Core<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p>He told the superintendents at the April meeting that his agency was working on it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We will be getting out talking points,&#8221; Bennett said. &#8220;We will be working with the governor on a full-blown communications plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Three months later, Common Core critics said they are seeing that plan every time they meet with a state lawmaker or school board member.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe first thing they do is pull out this information sheet from the Florida Department of Education,&#8221; said Laura Zorc, an organizer with <a href=\"http:\/\/flparentsagainstcommoncore.com\/\">Florida Parents Against Common Core<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Zorc <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/2013\/06\/28\/common-core-opponents-expecting-protesters-from-across-the-state\/\">wants the state to pause Common Core so parents can study the standards<\/a>. She wants legal experts to review the standards and decide if they violate the state constitution.<\/p>\n<p>She&#8217;s found elected officials are ready when asked to reconsider Common Core.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The Florida Department of Education has taken our fact sheet and has attempted to dispute our concerns,&#8221; she said, citing a set of talking points called <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fldoe.org\/schools\/pdf\/dmfaqccss.pdf\">\u201cDemystifying the Movement: Answers to Common Core Myths About the Common Core State Standards.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<h4>&#8220;There Is A Level of Coordination&#8221;<\/h4>\n<p>Two nonprofits founded by former Gov. Jeb Bush are also helping with the public relations effort.<\/p>\n<p>The Foundation for Florida\u2019s Future\u00a0 and the Foundation for Excellence in Education believes Common Core will mean a better education. Director Patricia Levesque said her group can help explain why.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_17832\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 241px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Patricia Levesque said her group can help busy parents understand what Common Core will mean for their children.\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/04\/PatriciaLevesque.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17832\" alt=\"Patricia Levesque said her group can help busy parents understand what Common Core will mean for their children.\" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/04\/PatriciaLevesque.jpg\" width=\"241\" height=\"207\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-media-credit\">MaineDOE\/flickr<\/p><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Patricia Levesque said her group can help busy parents understand what Common Core will mean for their children.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cA lot of parents don\u2019t know yet, really, what\u2019s coming next year,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I\u2019m a parent with a child in the public school system. We\u2019re not getting enough information yet. So that\u2019s why our foundation is trying to play a role in educating the public and educating parents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Foundation for Excellence in Education is posting <a href=\"http:\/\/excelined.org\/common-core-toolkit\/\">Common Core information on its website<\/a> and sending out rapid-response email blasts debunking false claims about the standards.<\/p>\n<p>One of those emails said a <a href=\"http:\/\/excelined.org\/2013\/05\/myth-v-fact-taking-on-the-tallest-tales-about-common-core-state-standards\/\">Polk County program scanning student irises<\/a> had nothing to do with Common Core. The scans actually were <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theledger.com\/article\/20130614\/NEWS\/130619733\">part of a new bus security program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>At the time, only one person had falsely connected iris scanning with Common Core. It was a reader who left a comment on the Lakeland Ledger website.<\/p>\n<p>The foundation\u2019s quick-fire capabilities are helped by eyes and ears all over Florida. Allies monitor Common Core chatter and send Levesque every gripe and rumor.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is a level of coordination \u2013 loose coordination that\u2019s going on,&#8221; Levesque said, &#8220;but there are many groups that really are dedicated to making sure that parents and the public understand Common Core State Standards.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"module image alignleft mceTemp\" id=\"attachment_19582\" style=\"width: 300px;\"><a class=\"fancybox\" title=\"Meridith Mears, Debbie Higginbotham, Laura Zorc and Stacie Clark, who founded Florida Parents Against Common Core.&lt;br \/&gt;&lt;br \/&gt;&lt;br \/&gt;\n\" href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/07\/7-22-ParentsAgainstCC.jpg\" rel=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-19582\" alt=\"Meridith Mears, Debbie Higginbotham, Laura Zorc and Stacie Clark, who founded Florida Parents Against Common Core.  \" src=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/07\/7-22-ParentsAgainstCC-300x225.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/07\/7-22-ParentsAgainstCC-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/07\/7-22-ParentsAgainstCC-620x465.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2013\/07\/7-22-ParentsAgainstCC.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Courtesy of Laura Zorc<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Meridith Mears, Debbie Higginbotham, Laura Zorc and Stacie Clark, who founded Florida Parents Against Common Core.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>That includes <a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/2013\/04\/29\/common-core-opponents-having-little-success-in-florida-so-far\/\">ExxonMobil<\/a>, which has aired television ads supporting the Common Core. The national PTA supports the standards. And the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is spending millions backing Common Core. That <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gatesfoundation.org\/How-We-Work\/Quick-Links\/Grants-Database\/Grants\/2012\/06\/OPP1062620\">includes $151,068 to the Foundation for Excellence in Education for a statewide communications campaign<\/a> &#8212; part of $1.7 million Gates has given the foundation since 2010.<\/p>\n<p>Florida Parents Against Common Core leader Zorc said if Common Core supporters need to coordinate their message, it\u2019s a sign her group is making progress.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf they can\u2019t talk to us without their cue cards, there\u2019s a problem here,&#8221; Zorc said.<\/p>\n<p>Florida\u2019s Senate President <a href=\"http:\/\/www.orlandosentinel.com\/features\/blogs\/school-zone\/os-top-lawmakers-urge-fl-to-abandon-parcc-group-developing-common-core-tests-that-were-to-replace-fcat-20130717,0,4638085.post?track=rss&amp;utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=Feed:+SentinelSchoolZone+%28Sentinel+School+Zone%29\">expects a debate over the standards<\/a> when lawmakers meet next year. Zorc said Florida Parents Against Common Core will have their arguments ready.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Gov. Rick Scott and Education Commissioner Tony Bennett met with school superintendents in April, Florida\u2019s new education standards led the questions. \u201cLet\u2019s start with Common Core,&#8221; said Martin County superintendent Laurie Gaylord. \u201cWe recently held a Common Core workshop for our school board and our community and we got picketed&#8230;So I guess I\u2019m reaching [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":19585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[1157,819,855,67,139,809],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19575"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19575"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19575\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19591,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19575\/revisions\/19591"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}