Alabama Senate Passes Bill To Repeal Common Core

MONTGOMERY, AL - In a move that was opposed by statewide business development advocates and state education leaders, the Alabama Senate voted Thursday to drop the Common Core curriculum from schools in Alabama. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Del Marsh, passed the Senate by a 23-7 margin.

The latest version of the bill, which will now move to the House of Representatives, would require the state to develop new standards by 2021-2022, as opposed to Marsh's original bill that would drop Common Core immediately.

Several of the state's largest chambers of commerce, including the Birmingham Business Alliance, have signed letters asking lawmakers to reject any legislation that harms Alabama's standards, arguing that the move would hurt education efforts in the state and jeopardize economic development efforts, according to a Birmingham Business Journal report.

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What is at stake also with the dropping of Common Core are federal funds the state schools receive in connection with Common Core and the Common Core certification bonuses teachers receive. Critics have argued the Common Core standards haven't improved testing scores or elevated Alabama's low rankings in education metrics, although 40 states use Common Core - including Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont, which ranked as the top five states for public education by USA Today in 2018.

Proponents of Common Core say the standards ensure that students won't be left behind if they move from one state to another, which is one reason the standards are supported by many in the business world.