Massachusetts Voters May See Common Core on the Ballot?

 

MassLive reports that a ballot initiative on Common Core has been certified as constitutional and may end up on the ballot in 2016 provided there are enough signatures.

Massachusetts voters will have their say in 2016 on whether to adhere to the national Common Core Standards for education. A ballot question with Worcester roots was one of 22 questions certified as constitutional by Attorney General Maura Healy on Wednesday.

The next step is collecting the signatures needed to actually place it on the ballot according to Donna Colorio, a candidate for and a former Worcester School Committee member, a Quinsigamond Community College professor and one of the questions most ardent supporters.

“This was the first step,” Colorio said. “I am excited beyond excited that this passed constitutional muster and can move forward. We can have the discussion that we never had when this was approved (by the Mass. Board of Education) in 2010.”

Read more.

Common Core opponents need to collect 64,750 signatures from voters by this November.  The Massachusetts Legislature then will need to act.  If they fail to act then the initiative will need an additional 10,800 signatures by June of 2016 for the measure to be on the ballot in November of 2016.

End Common Core Massachusetts set a goal of collecting 120,000 between September 16, 2015 through November 18, 2015.  You can learn more about that effort here.