The position puts him at odds with GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal, but could bolster support from the business community as the senator raises money for the 2015 governor's race.
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Republican U.S. Sen. David Vitter says he "strongly" supports the Common Core education standards. The position puts him at odds with GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal, but could bolster support from the business community as the senator raises money for the 2015 governor's race.
In an interview taped for C-SPAN's 'Newsmakers,' Vitter called Common Core "very strong, significant, positive standards."
He added that the state must make sure teachers are properly prepared to use the standards and must retain local control of curriculum.
The comments come as Jindal is taking steps to remove the standards from Louisiana classrooms. That dispute with education leaders is headed to court.
In a statement to The Associated Press, Vitter criticized Jindal's approach to the standards, calling it "very disruptive" to schools.