TALLAHASSE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran announced the replacement for the Common Core in Florida on Friday.
The new standards will be called Florida's B.E.S.T. Standards, according to a release from the governor's office. The name stands for "Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking."
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DeSantis began looking for a replacement of Florida's Common Core after some parents argued the guidelines were too rigid and required too much testing for students. The Common Core consists of a set of academic standards in mathematics and arts/literacy that outline what students should know at the end of each grade.
“When I took office, I made a pledge to the citizens of Florida to overhaul our educational standards to remove all vestiges of Common Core and return to the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic,” said Governor DeSantis. “I am pleased that this historic task has been completed and we are well on our way to making Florida the best state in the nation for education. My deepest thanks to Commissioner Corcoran and Department of Education staff, Florida teachers, parents, subject matter experts and stakeholders for their participation in this transparent, in-depth and comprehensive process.”
PREVIOUSLY REPORTED:
- Gov. DeSantis announces executive order to eliminate Common Core in Florida
- Local school districts react to Gov. DeSantis executive order to eliminate Common Core
- Common Core standards to remain in place until at least Jan. 1, 2020, according to Florida Dept. of Education
"Under his bold leadership, these new standards represent the highest quality knowledge-based standards in the nation. They not only incorporate civics throughout every grade, a first of their kind in the nation, ensuring that our students are well versed in the United States Constitution and the responsibilities of citizenship, they also provide educators with clear and concise standards. I am confident our students will thrive academically and be well prepared for success,” said Commissioner Corcoran.
DeSantis is expected to unveil the B.E.S.T. Standards, as a whole, next week. He will then submit Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards to the State Board of Education for approval sometime between February and March.
To view a summary of the executive order DeSantis issued on January 21, 2019 to eliminate Common Core from Florida schools, click here.
