State Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan, the Austell Democrat running for Georgia school superintendent, has decried Louisiana’s move away from the national set of academic standards called Common Core.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican, recently issued an executive order that would effectively pull his state out of Common Core, which has been criticized by some conservatives and tea party activists as a federal intrusion into state control of public education.
Supporters of the standards, including Morgan, argue that they are a necessary improvement that would harmonize when students across the country are introduced to academic material and raise the rigor of that material.
The standards have become a potent political issue, particularly among Republicans. With some exceptions, Democrats are largely supportive of the standards.
Morgan, battling former City Schools of Decatur school board member Valarie Wilson in a July 22 runoff, has drawn criticism from some of her fellow Democrats for embracing school-choice options like charter schools. Jindal’s order gave Morgan an opportunity to align herself with her fellow Democrats.
“This issue is too important to allow politics to get in the way,” Morgan said. “While other states across the South are busy playing games with our children’s futures, I’m proud of the work we’ve done here in Georgia to set high academic standards for our kids.”
