The N.C. Department of Public Instruction (DPI) revealed that the state spent at least $66 million on the implementation of the Common Core State Standards.
For the past few years, Lt. Governor Dan Forest and others asked DPI to provide an estimate of taxpayer money used for Common Core implementation. They never received it. Now that the legislature approved a bill that would review and possibly repeal Common Core, state education leaders are all too willing to cite that estimate.
The fact that the $66 million was federal money is irrelevant. Federal funds come from taxpayers. More importantly, there were far better ways to use that money, such as allowing taxpayers to keep it.
Update: Lady Liberty reminded me that they provided the cost estimate in February. My post has been revised accordingly. DPI provided the figure long after Dan Forest asked them for it, but it was not a “new” estimate. Of course, passage of the Common Core bill has given new life to the figure. Thanks for the clarification!
