The Presidential Candidates’ Position On Common Core Standards

Common Core State Standards aim to provide clear and consistent learning goals to prepare students through college, career and life. Despite its goals, it seems presidential candidates have different opinions about it.

Epoch Times said that Donald Trump and Ted Cruz from the Republican camp totally disagree with the Common Core Standards. Trump even shared three videos on his Facebook saying that the program is a "disaster" and promised to abolish it.

"I'm a tremendous believer in education, but education has to be at a local level. We cannot have the bureaucrats in Washington telling you how to manage your child's education. Common Core is a total disaster, we can't let it continue," Trump said in a Jan. 26 video on his Facebook page.

Cruz stated that the federal government does not have the authority to set the curriculum in education. He wants the Common Core to be repealed.

"I think we should repeal every word of Common Core. Education is far too important to have it governed by unelected bureaucrats down in Washington," he said.

On the other hand, John Kasich and Hillary Clinton support the Common Core. Kasich has been supporting the Common Core since 2011 when he became Ohio's governor while Clinton has been supporting it since it started, The Daily Caller said.

Kasich sustained his support for the Common Core even on the campaign trail. However, he is trying to be careful not to disregard grassroots conservatives. For him, the standard provides local communities a freedom on what curriculum to use and not a form of federal control.

Clinton, on the other hand, gave the Common Core Standards a strong endorsement during a campaign stop at an Iowa college. She praised it as a "nonpartisan" endeavor and has distinguished those who turn against it as "painful."

Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders seems not into Common Core issue compared to other candidates. It is not clear whether he is pro or against the standard.