Today, the fight on Common Core heated up with the first hearing on the topic in Michigan. On one hand is the more liberal wing of the legislature which feels that the Common Core standards would set a high bar for academic achievement across the country.

When we think of states to look to in terms of free markets and the responsibility of personal choices, most of us wouldn’t think of Michigan first, or second. Let’s face it, Michigan wouldn’t crack most peoples’ top ten. However, Michigan is making progress; away from so-called progressivism. Michigan’s shiny new status as a right-to-work state is one of the biggest steps towards this new, freer Michigan.  It is moving away from its union-tied nanny-state history. What should not be overlooked, though, is what Michigan is doing in education. 

Florida is known for having great options when it comes to school choice and, in some ways, that remains true. After all, Florida provides many options for families in public, private, and online education, which is far more than a lot of states provide. However, all is not as it seems in Florida.  

The state of our nation's education and the standards by which both students and educators are held should be of importance to all of us.  Common Core State Standards are national math and language arts standards that are being implemented across the country despite pushback from legislators, teachers and parents.

Just in case you needed another reason to love Texas, Governor Rick Perry has given us one. Yesterday, Perry signed education reforms into law which will shake up graduation requirements and put less emphasis on testing. By signing House Bills 5, 809, 842, and 3662, as well as Senate Bill 441, Perry achieved a significant overhaul of public education. 

On May 21, Washington Rep. Liz Pike introduced House Bill 2063, which would open up educational opportunities for children in her state. This bill would establish educational tax credits allowing Washington’s children to have access to more educational choices. Washington currently has very few options for school choice, and if passed, this would be a huge boost for education reform there. 

FreedomWorks is currently working with parents, teachers and activists across the country to educate citizens on the dangers of Common Core, as well as give them the tools to stop Common Core in their state.

Though there are many things I love about Kansas, it’s the Sunflower State’s record of defying federal imposition that gives me the greatest pride in my home state.

Our K-12 education system is a monopoly, and like any other monopoly, the customer (child) suffers from lack of choice and competition.  Our children are being held captive in a failing system where markets are not allowed to work. As it turns out, parents, especially moms, know that the key to improving our education system is to allow for market forces to drive innovation and create an enviroment that responds to the needs of children, instead of just propping up the status quo.

School choice received a blow in Louisiana today when the Supreme Court deemed funding for vouchers unconstitutional. Last April, Governor Bobby Jindal expanded school choice, including scholarships offered for up to 5,600 students for the current school year. More than 10,000 students applied for 5,600 spots in private and religious schools this year, and were selected by a lottery. The program was set to be expanded next year with nearly 8,000 students approved for vouchers with more scholarships expected to be approved in June.