Cruz, More Than Just Talk.
Earlier we posted the Common Core Report Card. Ted Cruz received the highest marks with an A-. So what has Cruz done to help stop Common Core? Below is a timeline of actions he has taken.
Ted Cruz isn’t just TALKING about ending Common Core,
he has taken ACTION to Stop Common Core!
April 25, 2013
Sen. Ted Cruz was a co-signor of Sen. Grassley’s letter to defund and prohibit Common Core
(Marco Rubio DID NOT sign the letter)
Copies of the actual letter can be printed from a link in this article:
https://caffeinatedthoughts.com/2013/04/grassley-launches-effort-to-prohibit-common-core-funding/
January 2015
Sen. Cruz Co-Sponsored S.73, The Local Control of Education Act to…
”prohibit the federal government from directly or indirectly mandating, directing, controlling, incentivizing, or conditioning federal support on a state’s, local educational agency’s (LEA’s), or school’s adoption of:
the Common Core State Standards, any other academic standards common to a number of states, or any statewide or nationally recognized content standards; or any assessment, instructional content, or curriculum aligned to, or based on, specific academic standards.
Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to make those prohibitions applicable to grants awarded under the Race to the Top program for innovations and reforms in elementary and secondary education.
Prohibits the Secretary of Education from conditioning the provision of a statutory or regulatory waiver under the ESEA on a state, LEA, Indian tribe, or school adopting any specific instructional content, academic standard, assessment, curriculum, or program of instruction. Makes that prohibition applicable to future and previously issued waivers.”
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/73/all-info
April 1, 2015
Ted Cruz was the first candidate to sign The Eagle Forum’s Pledge against Common Core: http://www.eagleforum.org/publications/press-releases/phyllis-schlaflys-stop-common-core-pledge.html (Marco Rubio signed it, months later.)
May 2015
Sen. Ted Cruz signed a Petition from Georgians to Stop Common Core and Opt-Out Georgia to Governor Nathan Deal asking him to end Common Core in Georgia.
July 16, 2015
Sen. Ted Cruz was one of only 17 who Voted AGAINST the Senate version of the reauthorization of The Elementary & Secondary Education Act, then known as the Every Child Achieves Act (S1177) which codifies Common Core at the Federal level (Final vote 81-17)
(Marco Rubio also voted against the Senate version of this Bill)
August 19, 2015
Senator Cruz’s opposition to Common Core earned him (and Sen. Paul) an A-, the highest grade given to any candidates by the Pulse Report on Common Core.
The FULL Pulse Report on Common core and the 2016 GOP Candidates:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/275207101/Common-Core-GOP-2016-Candidate-Scorecard
November 13, 2015
Sen. Ted Cruz was the first to sign Florida Parents Against Common Core’s Sunshine State Pledge to end Common Core. Marco Rubio also later signed the pledge. http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/ted-cruz-signs-florida-groups-pledge-end-common-core
December 8, 2015
Sen. Ted Cruz was one of only 12 who voted AGAINST the motion to invoke Cloture on the Conference Report on the Reauthorization of the Elementary & Secondary Education Act, now known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (S1177) which increases the Federal footprint in education at the local level, by maintaining Federal mandates for standardized testing and “standards common to a significant number of states,” i.e., Common Core. (84-12, 4 not voting: M. Rubio, L. Graham, B. Sanders)
(Marco Rubio DID NOT VOTE)
Senator Cruz already has a plan in place to reduce the Federal footprint in education and phase out the US Dept of Ed, to make it possible for States to exit Common Core in spite of the ESSA Law.
https://www.tedcruz.org/five-for-freedom/
Ted Cruz clearly has a plan to help return control of education to a more local level. Something to consider when you go to the polls this Tuesday.
Thank you to Teri Sasseville for putting together the timeline.
