Dive Brief:
- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is suing the Obama administration for "illegally manipulating" federal dollars by forcing states to adopt the Common Core State Standards.
- Jindal argues that the Constitution's state sovereignty clause and federal laws banning national control of education decisions have been violated by President Obama's Race to the Top competition, which has given away a total of $3.4 billion to states that agree to certain federally dictated guidelines, including Common Core adoption. The competition, along with No Chld Left Behind waivers, "effectively forces states down a path toward a national curriculum," Jindal argues.
- The lawsuit, which was filed Wednesday in Baton Rouge's federal court, has an end goal: If successful, it would prohibit the U.S. Department of Education from withholding RTTT dollars from states that opt out of Common Core.
Dive Insight:
Jindal's focus on the federal government is a shift, as he recently went up against the Louisiana Board of Education attempting to stop a Common Core-related contract with the PARCC testing consortium. So what's going on here with Jindal? Back in 2010, when the Common Core and Race to the Top were announced, Jindal was googly-eyed over the new standards, adopting them and proudly receiving $17 million in funding from the grants. Flash forward less than half a decade, and Jindal is up in arms over the standards. A potential 2016 Presidential Candidate, Jindal is likely aiming to better position himself in a key area of discontent among conservatives.