Charlie Davis on Common Core Standards: Gov. Nixon stabbed us in the back

Legislators attending the Common Core Standards informational meeting held Saturday night at Missouri Southern State University left no doubt that Common Core will be among the most explosive topics in the 2014 General Assembly.

Rep. Charlie Davis, R-Webb City, said that he and other legislators had no idea that Common Core Standards were being adopted by Missouri. "We were blindsided by this. The governor blindsided us. He stabbed us in the back."

Davis was referring to Missouri's entry into the Common Core consortium, which was signed by Gov. Jay Nixon in 2009. Since then, as speakers pointed out, the standards have been introduced into state schools through Commissioner of Education Chris Nicastro and district supeintendents.

Sen. Ron Richard, R-Joplin, said the legislature can affect the adoption of Common Core through the budgeting process.