Dive Brief:
- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has once again announced a plan to do away with the Common Core State Standards.
- Jindal, a possible Republican presidential candidate, once supported the standards and many see his flip-flop to vocal disdain for the benchmarks as part of an attempt to gain the support of conservatives who oppose them and their centralized nature.
- While Jindal has not brought forth specific legislation, his call for action has already drawn criticism from the state's superintendent of education, John White, and the president of its Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Chas Roemer.
Dive Insight:
For much of last year, Jindal made attempts to thwart the use of Common Core in Louisiana, but he was never successful. At every stage, he met roadblocks from White and Roemer.
Jindal's opposition is one of many to be expected from potential presidential candidates who want to show a strong opinion on education. Interestingly, however, White was recently appointed to head Jeb Bush's advocacy group, Chiefs for Change. The fact that White, a Common Core supporter, could be connected to one of Jindal's potential primary opponents, shows clear divergences in what it means to have a Republican education agenda these days.