The libertarian-minded public policy group Libertas Institute is funding a lawsuit against the Utah State School Board, which focuses on how Common Core standards were adopted.
Libertas President Connor Boyack said the state school board did not adequately consult parents, teachers and local school board members before the academic standards were adopted.
“State law requires the state school board to consult with parents, teachers, educators, school board members and others as they implement and establish what these standards are,” said Boyack. “We need to make sure that we have local control and that we have input from all of these affected parties.”
The six plaintiffs in the case include parents, teachers and school board members.
According to media reports, school board member Debra Roberts said the board never tried to hide the adoption of the standards. She said the board saw a need in Utah schools and took appropriate action, including reaching out to groups across the state.
However, Boyack said what the board did was not enough. He claims the problem isn’t Common Core—it’s how the standards were adopted.
“Ours isn’t a concern of whether Common Core or not, ours is a concern that the law was violated and that Utahns were not consulted and afforded the public comment opportunity that they should have been.”
The Common Core Standards were adopted in 2010.