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What a difference a year makes. Public support for the Common Core national education standards is rapidly eroding, and teachers—formerly in favor of Common Core—now join Republicans in solid opposition to it.
The numbers come courtesy of an Education Next poll. In 2013, 65 percent of people supported Common Core. That number fell to a slim 53 percent majority this year—much of that support coming from Democrats, who remained largely unchanged in their overall opinion.
The results for both Republicans and teachers are even more staggering, however. The Republican numbers changed from 57 percent in favor to just 43 percent in favor and the teachers changed from 76 percent in favor to 46 percent.
These results are significant, since they chip away at key assertions made by the backers of Common Core. The backers have often maintained that opposition to Common Core stems from misinformation and that those who understand the new standards best—i.e., teachers—liked them just fine. That is clearly no longer true.
The poll does demonstrate support among people for the general concept of national standards when the Common Core label is dropped from the questions. And it's true that many people remain unclear on exactly what the standards entail: According to the poll, most people think the federal government required the states to adopt, when in reality the feds merely incentivized states to adopt by offering grant money in exchange for compliance. Teachers, however, have a much more accurate comprehension of the standards than the general public and are against them in greater proportions. It's hard to see that as much of a vindication for Core backers.
More from Reason on Common Core here.
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