NASHVILLE – Opponents of the nationalized, one-size-fits-all learning standards known as Common Core have run into a brick wall in the state of Tennessee.

The brick wall, in this case, is Republican Gov. Bill Haslam who staunchly supports Common Core and is a shoo-in for reelection in the fall. The Tennessean reports that Haslam faces no competition from fellow Republicans in his primary election or from Democrats in the November general election.

That means Haslam feels no pressure to listen to parents and taxpayers who are concerned that the experimental math and English learning standards being imposed on their schools are not as “rigorous” as advertised, and that they will eventually lead to the demise of locally controlled schools.

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That lack of pressure was evident during Haslam’s interview with The Tennessean’s editorial board last week.

“I actually feel pretty strongly about (Common Core), mainly because Tennessee has such a poor history of having high enough standards,” Haslam told the paper.

The Tennessean reports that Haslam’s gung-ho support of Common Core leaves “little room for negotiation” for the conservative state lawmakers who want to repeal the standards, or at the very least delay the implementation of the new Common Core-aligned standardized assessments known as the PARCC tests.

The governor reasons that Tennessee schools “have to use some type of testing,” and that it makes no sense to use the state’s previous standardized tests that were designed to comply with the previous standards.

That seems like a shaky reason for sticking with a set of learning standards that a growing number of scholars say are of dubious quality.

Haslam’s desire for higher learning standards and compatible state standardized tests is understandable, which is why Common Core opponents should call on the governor to commission the development of a unique set of learning standards and assessments that are totally separate from the nationalized standards.

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It’s true that developing unique math and English standards and tests would be expensive and time-consuming for the Volunteer State, but that’s far preferable to subjecting the state’s school children to this Common Core scheme that most Americans have been hustled into accepting.