NAPLES, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis is making good on a promise to do away with Common Core education standards for Florida public schools. One year ago, the governor issued an executive order to eliminate the standards.
DeSantis announced new curriculum standards Friday, saying it’s something voters asked him to do.
“When I took office, I made a pledge to the citizens of Florida to overhaul our educational standards to remove all vestiges of Common Core and return to the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic,” DeSantis said.
The new standards will be known as B.E.S.T. K-12 standards. The plan is about ending standardized testing, simplifying math and incorporating civics into the classroom, according to the governor.
READ: Comparing Common Core to proposed B.E.S.T. standards
Students can expect to see some of the changes starting in two years. Some of the major changes include:
- Ending “confusing/crazy math”
- Focus on the “correct” answer and not only the method
- Eliminating two statewide tests for ninth graders in geometry and language arts
- The state will pay for students to take the ACT or SAT
The official standards have not yet been made public. The governor’s office released a 21-page summary of the major changes Friday. He said the full standards will be available next week.
Duval County School Board Chairwoman Lori Hershey joined us on “The Morning Show” to talk about the proposed changes. Press play below to hear her take: