Senator Lee Zeldin Calls for Delay of Common Core

Senator Lee Zeldin Calls for Delay of Common Core 

State Senator Lee M. Zeldin (R,C,I- Shirley) just released the following statement calling for a delay on the implementation of Common Core:

Now that Governor Cuomo has delivered his State of the State message and the start of the 2014 Legislative Session is underway, I  would like to voice my strong support for delaying the implementation of Common Core. 

I have spent the last several months listening to the countless concerns voiced by my constituents regarding the terribly executed implementation of Common Core. It is a major issue in my Senate District. Securing a delay remains my top education priority. I fully intend to work with like minded colleagues to get behind legislation to address these concerns.

In the past, I have expressed my concern with the fact that the Common Core movement so clearly tries to establish a national, one size fits all education model.  I strongly believe that the responsibility to establish standards has traditionally been held at the local and state level and that is where it should stay. 

It is a dangerous precedent to set, stripping away local control and flexibility to develop models within New York that require us to constantly lobby a higher authority.  Instead, we should be looking to better develop our tech and general education paths and reduce the overemphasis on certain high stakes testing. Rather than aspiring towards one size fits all students, we should welcome our diversity of backgrounds and skills and foster learning environments best suited for the individual student.

Further, we have set our educators up to fail by not providing the necessary resources in advance of such a drastic change in curriculum, demonstrating a complete lack of understanding for certain needs inside the classroom.

When voicing my opposition to Common Core, I have been told by some that we ‘just need to give it time.’ I oppose that line of thinking. Our students are not guinea pigs and this experiment needs to stop. We have too much to lose.

Once again, there is nothing wrong with leaning forward in life so long as you don't lean so far forward that you fall on your face.  It’s time to hit the pause button on the implementation of Common Core.

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