Bryant could join Jindal in calling for Common Core's end

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal made it known Wednesday that he wants Common Core out of his state.

Gov. Phil Bryant, who mirrors Jindal idealogically, said Thursday the set of standards could be in similar danger here.

Bryant issued an executive order last year that decreed Common Core could stay, as long as the state accepted no federal money for its implementation.

"I think Common Core is a failed program, and the United States is beginning to realize that," Bryant said Thursday. "Governors all across America are realizing states can do it better."

The standards are the most significant change in math, science and English baselines in decades. They were adopted with input from states and flew under the radar until the Obama administration started offering federal money to states that began to implement them.

Since then, primarily states with Republican governors have started to shun Common Core. Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, whose politics also complement Bryant's, recently signed legislation that eliminated the standards in that state.

Bryant said programs like the third-grade reading gate — which will require third graders to read at basic level by next year — provide better achievement thresholds than Common Core.

Mississippi's Department of Education has adopted the standards. Districts started this past academic year teaching the curriculum designed to meet the standards. The Department of Education's board voted last month to spend $8.4 million on standardized tests aligned with Common Core.

The overall education budget lawmakers passed and Bryant signed this year includes $694,000 to advance Common Core. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn both said earlier this year they would resist federal creep into the state's education system, though neither has done anything to this point to block Common Core's implementation.

The standards enjoy broad support from the state's business community. The Mississippi Economic Council made retaining the program one of its priorities for the session that ended in April. Teacher and overall education advocacy organizations support Common Core, saying the standards are an improvement over the old baselines.

Opposition to the standards has been driven primarily by tea party groups and legislative caucuses like the Senate Conservative Coalition.

They have called Common Core an overreach that represents the federal government's attempt to wrest the overall education system away from the states.

Contact Clay Chandler at (601) 961-7264 or cchandler@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @claychand on Twitter.