By Rita Giordano, Inquirer Staff Writer
Gov. Christie as Henry Clay? Next week may tell.
Based on the likelihood of a Christie veto, and his recent hint that a compromise might be on the way, the state Senate has held off on a final vote on a bill that would create a task force to review the impacts of the Common Core State Standards in language arts and math, and the potential impact of the new online Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), which is set for statewide rollout this coming school year.
The bill would also prevent using PARCC results to hold students and schools accountable for up to two years, and delay any consequences for teachers in their evaluations for the same time period.
An identical bill already sailed through the Assembly, getting 72 of 80 votes.
New Jersey is one of a relatively small but growing number of states at least considering a slowdown of using a high-stakes test linked to the Common Core to judge students, schools and teachers. Indiana, South Carolina, and Oklahoma have decided to drop out of Common Core, and others are considering it.
Supporters of Common Core’s added rigor and the new tests say change is needed to prepare more students for higher education and the modern workplace. State education officials have spoken out against not moving ahead.
While it is widely believed that Christie would veto the pending task force and moratorium legislation, he held out the possibility of a compromise while speaking at a June 25 town hall meeting in Haddon Heights. Legislators decided to hold off voting to give that compromise a chance to take shape. In Haddon Heights, Christie had said he would probably have something to announce in seven to 10 days. Last week, acting Education Commissioner David Hespe was away.
Legislators have said relief could come in a number of forms, including an executive order or regulatory change. Some say action could come Wednesday when the state Board of Education meets.
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