Thursday, March 28, 2024

Jeb Bush Doubles Down on Common Core

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (photo credit: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (photo credit: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0)

Jeb Bush is not backing away from his support for the national Common Core standards—in fact, he’s doubling down.

From the Associated Press (via Yahoo News):

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Friday night he is standing by his support for the Common Core school standards rejected by a segment of the GOP’s most conservative members, including other potential presidential candidates.

“Raising expectations and having accurate assessments of where kids are is essential for success, and I’m not going to back down on that,” Bush said during a congressional fundraiser in suburban Des Moines.

Will conservative voters in Iowa tolerate Bush’s position? Bush is now the only Republican candidate who has maintained explicit support for Common Core—even Chris Christie has begun to back away from his previous support.

Don’t forget what American Principles Project Director of Education warned at CPAC late last month. From The Blaze:

McGroarty didn’t name any names on Thursday, but he predicted that a “split vote” in the primary could lead to a pro-Common Core Republican getting the party’s presidential nomination.

Such a candidate, McGroarty said, would be “unelectable” against the Democrats’ Clinton.

“Hillary doesn’t have a lot of Common Core baggage,” McGorarty noted, saying that a ”very smart and very shrewd” Clinton will use Common Core support against any pro-Common Core Republican nominee.

That nominee will be doomed, McGroarty said, because the American revolt against Common Core is strong and growing.

“Parents are looking at what’s coming home in their children’s backpacks, and they’re appalled,” McGroarty said. “Common Core locks children into inferior education.”

Jon Schweppe is Deputy Director of Communications for American Principles in Action.

More From The Pulse