(USA Today) TRENTON, N.J. — Education Commissioner David C. Hespe is expected to introduce a plan Wednesday aimed at replacing the Common Core State Standards in New Jersey schools.
Gov. Chris Christie announced in May that he would direct Hespe to start crafting new educational standards, called the New Jersey College and Career Readiness Standards.
The Common Core standards were initially adopted by most states in the nation as a way to create consistency through the nation's patchwork of educational systems. Some of the states that originally adopted the educational standards have since reverted to having their own educational benchmarks.
"I have heard from far too many people — teachers and parents from across the state — that the Common Core standards were not developed by New Jersey educators and parents," Christie, who is running for president, said in a May speech at Burlington County College. "As a result, the buy-in from both communities has not been what we need for maximum achievement. I agree. It is time to have standards that are even higher and come directly from our communities."
The governor said he would not back away from New Jersey's history of rigorous academic standards nor his commitment to measuring classroom results.
Hespe is expected to discuss the first steps in the standards review process at a meeting of the state Board of Education on Wednesday.
