Rep. James White Filed HB 704 to Protect Texas Schools from Obama’s Common Core Standards Agenda

Texas State Representative James White has filed HB 704 in an effort to protect Texas from the Obama administration’s takeover of the public schools through Common Core Standards. Please express your appreciation to Rep. White for his efforts and then contact Texas Legislators and ask them to vote for HB 704.

Below is the text of HB 704 from Texas Legislature Online:

By: Rep. James White H.B. No. 704

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

Relating to public school curriculum standards and assessment instruments.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 28.002, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsections (b-1), (b-2), (b-3), and (b-4) to read as follows:

(b-1) In this section, "common core state standards" means the national curriculum standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

(b-2) The State Board of Education may not adopt common core state standards to comply with a duty imposed under this chapter.

(b-3) A school district may not use common core state standards to comply with the requirement to provide instruction in the essential knowledge and skills at appropriate grade levels under Subsection (c).

(b-4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, a school district or open-enrollment charter school may not be required to offer any aspect of a common core state standards curriculum.

SECTION 2. Section 39.023, Education Code, is amended by adding Subsection (a-3) to read as follows:

(a-3) The agency may not adopt or develop a criterion-referenced assessment instrument under this section based on common core state standards as defined by Section 28.002(b-1).

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013.