Cuomo Hits Airwaves as Common Core Battle Heats Up

In a new commercial airing this week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says that the controversial Common Core curriculum "is heading in the right direction," but that testing on it is premature. 

"It creates anxiety and it’s just unfair," Cuomo says in the commercial. "And their scores should not be counted against them."

The commercial is being aired as state lawmakers tackle Common Core in Albany. On Wednesday, the Democrat-led Assembly passed a bill that would delay parts of the Common Core standards, including preventing Common Core testing from factoring into teacher evaluations or whether a student moves onto the next grade. The bill, however, does not currently have a sponsor in the State Senate.

Republican Sen. John Flanagan, the chairman of the Senate Education Committee, has said he supports some parts of the bill. Dozens of people, however, plan to protest outside of Flanagan's Smithtown office at noon Friday to urge the senator to nix the bill and get behind another piece of legislation that would completely suspend the Common Core curriculum in New York. 

The Assembly on Wednesday defeated a proposed amendment from Republicans that would have done just that. 

Assemb. Al Graf, R-Holbrook, supported the amendment and said "the Majority chose politics over our children." 

“This battle is anything but over,” said Graf, whose anti-Common Core "Fix New York Schools" website has more than 49,000 Facebook recommends.  “I believe that though the Majority won the vote to continue Common Core today, this issue will come up again in November in the voting booth.  It was a sad day in Albany.  It was a day when the Majority Conference told the children of New York State that they do not matter."

What's your take? Should Common Core continue as is in New York, be delayed, or completely suspended? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.