This article was originally posted at StopCommonCoreNC.org.

The North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) was not fooled by the NC Department of Public Instruction’s (DPI) attempt to make cosmetic changes to Common Core’s high school Integrated math.

The NCGA set up a bill that lined up with the findings of the Academic Standards Review Commission (ASRC). The NCGA’s proposed bill initially replaced the Integrated math. View the Bill:  HB 657.

Amendments were later added to keep the Integrated math but also offer NC’s traditional pre-Common Core math courses.  North Carolina’s prior math sequence was Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II.

Sources inside the legislature report that various non-profits and special interest groups what support Common Core, in particular, the NC Chamber of Commerce, is heavily pressuring legislators to dump HB 657.  These pressures are apparently what led to altering the bill from dropping Integrated math entirely to offering a dual choice.

Another amendment was added requiring schools to inform parents of these choices.

View the amendments:

• A1: H657-ATW-60-V-5
• A2: H657-ATW-68-V-1
• A3: H657-ATW-59-V-5
• A4: H657-ATC-164-V-2
• A5: H657-ATC-175-V-2
• A6: H657-ATC-178-V-2

Oddly, the bill is giving DPI two years to come up with assessments and curriculum aligned to the previous progression. Yes, this means that North Carolina students will have to endure another two years of Common Core Integrated math.

North Carolina taught Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II for quite some time and even overlapped some of them with the Integrated math during the transition to Common Core.  DPI already has the curriculum and assessments for these courses, it should be just a matter of reinstating them, making a two-year time frame nonsensical.

Teachers in various social media spaces such as this article by EducationNC posted to Facebook are outraged they might have to offer their students a choice.

Meanwhile, in another EducationNC article, legislators were outraged the bill doesn’t do enough because it doesn’t cover elementary math:

Sen. Tom Apodaca, R-Buncombe, first said he wouldn’t vote for the bill because it didn’t extend to the way math is taught at the elementary school level, where he said damage was being done with the teaching methods currently being used.

“I’m not voting for this bill, because this bill doesn’t do enough,” he said.

The exchanged continued, with Senator Tillman hitting Supt. Atkinson and State Board of Education Chair Cobey for their Common Core advocacy:

Tillman fired back that if Apodaca wanted to be stuck with Common Core, not supporting his bill would make that happen.

“If you don’t like choice, and you want to be stuck with the June Atkinson/Bill Cobey Common Core, well that’s exactly what you’re going to get,” Tillman said.

Tillman is arguably right on the money with his remark. It is becoming more and more clear that Common Core is yet another failed educational fad and Atkinson and Cobey have done everything in their power to defend it.

The bill was passed on the 16th by the Senate.  Now it heads to the House for concurrence. If the House passes it, then it should go to the Governor to be signed.

Does this legislature wish to continue to endorse the failed policies of Atkinson and Cobey? The ability of the NCGA House to now pass this bill and send it to the Governor will likely be a litmus test.

Parents now is the time to contact your Representatives and to also email or call the Governor at (919) 814-2000.

Related Reading:  

• NC DPI Proceeds With First Coat of Lipstick On The Common Core Pig
• #NCGA Unfooled By Lipstick On The Common Core Pig [Updated]

More articles on HB 657 at LadyLiberty1885.com