Q: John Humphries, Do You Support or Oppose Wisconsin Using Nationwide Academic Standards? A: Yes

MADISON, Wis. — Yesterday John Humphries, candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction, held an online event to denounce Wisconsin using nationwide academic standards known as “Common Core.” But at a legislative committee hearing and in a letter to Gov. Walker, state legislators and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Humphries in no uncertain terms endorsed Wisconsin using the same standards he now takes to the internet to denounce.

One Wisconsin Now Research Director Jenni Dye commented, “We might not know where John Humphries stands on the issue of academic standards, but what we do know is political flip flops aren’t going to help Wisconsin students reach their potential.”

In a press statement yesterday, Humphries declared: “We will repeal Common Core and replace it …”

Yet the same Humphries, in a letter to state officials on behalf of the Wisconsin School Psychologists, earlier opposed replacement, promoting “uniformity, energy, and efficiency”, even going so far as to question the purpose of Wisconsin Standards that would not be comparable to other states, saying “Wisconsin students should not be held apart from an opportunity to compete on the same playing field as students from other states. There is no reasonable rationale for taking Wisconsin out of the national conversation on educational outcomes.”

Humphries specifically urged against replacement standards and maintaining the Common Core standards he now seeks to repeal, writing: “In summary, Wisconsin deserves higher standards, not replacement standards that could very easily be less rigorous than the Common Core … We again call upon you to use the Common Core as a baseline …”

Dye noted that fellow State Superintendent candidate Lowell Holtz appears determined to match Humphries flop with his own flip. In a story by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Holtz declared his enthusiasm for implementing Common Core standards in the school district for which he worked declaring, “The change is absolutely in the best interests of the kids of Wisconsin.” But in announcing his candidacy for 2016 and pandering for support from the right wing, Holtz declared that the Common Core standards he so enthusiastically sought to implement, “must be fought” and yesterday called to “completely eliminate” them.

“John Humphries might think that taking both sides of an issue is the way to please everyone and win an election. In reality it shows us is that he’s not to be trusted. Wisconsin kids deserve to have their interests, not Humphries’ political ambitions, put first,” concluded Dye.