Dive Brief:
- What is Jeb Bush's greatest challenge, should he decide to run for president? The Common Core State Standards, according to Politico.
- The former governor of Florida embraced the national standards in 2010, but now that they've been implemented and even dropped in some states, the controversy surrounding them could really hurt Bush's platform as the "education governor."
- In November, Bush made public his shifting feelings, saying states should be allowed to create their own education plans with federal dollars.
Dive Insight:
That the Common Core could potentially impact a presidential campaign shows how much opinions regarding the standards have changed since they were originally introduced in 2010 — not to mention how strong those opinions have become. Take for example Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who has also expressed interest in the presidency. Jindal was all about the standards upon their introduction, but in recent months, he has decried them — going so far as suing the Obama administration for "illegally manipulating" federal dollars by forcing states to adopt the Common Core as part of eligibility for Race To The Top funding and No Child Left Behind waivers.