Public against Common Core protest standards at Capitol

BATON ROUGE A group of parents, educators and community members from across the state rallied against Common Core near the Louisiana State Capitol to make their position known to legislators on Wednesday.

"(We want) awareness of our legislators so they will start asking the right questions to make good decisions for our kids," said Stephanie Riley, a Pineville parent and Central Louisiana pediatric occupational therapist. Riley has been outspoken against the educational standards for math and English, calling them developmentally inappropriate.

The event was planned via social media groups that connect Common Core opponents and was to coincide with discussion on at least one bill addressing Common Core at the House Educational Committee. But upon arrival attendants learned that the bill wouldn't be addressed for about two weeks.

At the beginning of session, House Education Committee Chairman Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, said he wanted to address higher education legislation first and that bills that would remove the standards from Louisiana public education would be heard in early May.

The group moved to Capitol Lake to protest the standards before returning to the building to address legislators in person.

Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, joined them by the lake, voicing his opposition to the standards and his support for the protestors.

"The rally is happening to enable folks from all over the state to meet legislators and meet with each other," Geymann said. "There was some short training on how to lobby legislators. They all wore (red anti-Common Core) shirts to make sure that presence is being felt. They want to be sure all of us (legislators) know this is an issue."

He is sponsoring House Bill 373, which calls for new standards developed and revised in Louisiana and approved by the Legislature.

"Allow us to develop our own standards and get out of Common Core," Geymann said. "That's what we're fighting for."

Dominique Magee, a parent from St. Tammany Parish, spoke against the standards, which she has been doing for two legislative sessions now. She was impressed with the growth of what has been called a grassroots movement against the standards.

"A couple of years ago fighting this battle, it was a few (people)," Magee said. "Now it's a sea of red shirts. ... We will not give up. We will not stop fighting this in our state."

That was the message echoed throughout the rally and in conversations with legislators and fellow protesters.

"If they (legislators) won't listen to us this year, we will be back louder and with more numbers next year," said Karen Jenkins, a parent from DeSoto Parish.

Many were disappointed that the House Education Committee didn't address Common Core on Wednesday.

"We wanted to be here for the debate on (Common Core) legislation," said Ronny Paille of Rayne in Acadia Parish.

"They heard we were coming," joked his wife, Diane Paille.

The couple opposes the educational standards for many reasons ranging from federal reach to content material being used in Common Core-aligned curricula.

Rep. Terry Brown, I-Colfax, saw the rally as a way to show legislators how many constituents disagree with the standards.

"And as tax-payers, they should have input into it," Brown said.