JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It’s official: Common Core is no more in Florida.
The Florida Department of Education announced on Friday that it’s scrapping the education standards, a polarizing set of milestones for student achievements in English language arts and mathematics.
“Florida has officially eliminated Common Core,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “I truly think this is a great next step for students, teachers, and parents. We’ve developed clear and concise expectations for students at every grade level and allow teachers the opportunity to do what they love most – inspire young Floridians to achieve their greatest potential.”
As part of the overhaul, state education officials plan to replace Common Core with the Florida B.E.S.T. (Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking) standards. They could be adopted as soon as Feb. 12.
“These standards create pathways for students that lead to great college and professional outcomes and parents will now be able to reinforce what their children learn in the classroom every day,” the governor said. “Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards were made by Florida teachers for Florida students, and I know they will be a great model for the rest of the nation.”
State Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, who supports the move, said the sweeping change allows Florida to escape “the confines of Common Core."
“Florida will be the first state in the nation with an (English language arts) booklist that spans grades K-12, the first state in the nation with a civics booklist embedded in its ELA standards, and a state that has dropped the crazy math,” Corcoran said.
To learn more about the proposed new standards, visit the Department of Education’s website.