CCSS myths hard to shake

Although people who work both in and outside of the education sector have known about the Common Core State Standards for several years now, misconceptions continue to surround them. One myth that shows no signs of going away is the idea that the CCSS were created by the government or are being forced on states.

The Standards were not created by the government or President Barack Obama. Instead, they are sponsored by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers. While Obama's administration certainly supports the Common Core's adoption and implementation, states are not required to embrace the CCSS.

Visitors to the Common Core website will learn that the Standards do not constitute a national curriculum and are not part of No Child Left Behind - the CCSS initiative is a state-led effort.

Florida, like every other state that has adopted the Common Core, has its fair share of individuals who are opposed to the new and rigorous Standards. Following a recent speech on education policy, Senate President Don Gaetz, a Republican, defended the CCSS when conservative activists said the Common Core represented federal overreach into Florida's education system, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

"You can't dip them in milk and hold them over a candle and see the United Nations flag or Barack Obama's face," said Gaetz, as quoted by the news source. "They're not some federal conspiracy."