Russ Fulcher says he changed his mind about Common Core for a simple reason: “It didn’t come as advertised.” Fulcher said he thought the math and English language arts standards would etch local control into Idaho education. But he now believes the opposite has occurred. Even though State Department of Education staffers have been involved in developing the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium exams, Fulcher doesn’t believe Idaho had significant input in writing the Common Core-aligned exams, and Idaho teachers will have no choice but to teach to the test. So as Fulcher travels the state on his gubernatorial campaign, the Republican state senator from Meridian is having to explain why he now opposes standards he supported in the Senate Education Committee in 2011. “I’m not embarrassed by that at all”/Kevin Richert, IdahoED NEWS. More here. (Photo: IdahoED NEWS)

Question: Do you accept Fulcher's reasons for flipflopping on Common Core?