The stark contrast between the victory for Common Core in Louisiana and the significant loss in Arizona this week highlights how divisive and political the battle has become.

In Louisiana, supporters of Common Core have retained control over the state’s school board after six spots in the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education were won by candidates who support the Common Core, according to The Daily Caller.

"Not only that, but the two BESE members who were most vocally critical of Common Core were both knocked from office.”

In Louisiana, tension over implementing Common Core standards is particularly high because of the political players who are in disagreement over it.

While the state’s governor and presidential hopeful Bobby Jindal once supported the standards, he is now vehemently opposed and therefore at odds with the state’s superintendent of schools, John White; Jindal hand-selected White for the position when he was supportive.

The big win for Common Core supporters in BESE has major implications for the standards that will guide Louisiana schools in the future.

"Earlier this year, Louisiana’s legislature passed a compromise measure to review Common Core and recommend possible changes to it. Since those changes will have to be approved by BESE, Saturday’s results mean the final product will likely be extremely similar to Common Core rather than a big departure. 

This week in Arizona, on the other hand, Common Core suffered a crippling defeat after the state’s Board of Education voted to reject it.

Yesterday morning, the Arizona Board of Education voted to reject Common Core in a 6-2 vote motioned by Superintendent of Public Instruction and Common Core opponent Diane Douglas.

The standards will stay in place for the time being until Arizona can formulate standards of its own.

Unfortunately, despite the intensity and passion behind the individuals in power supporting or opposing the standards, very little of what effective standards might constitute is being discussed.

And as states continue to battle over the standards’ implementation, each deciding on completely different results, Common Core's ultimate goal of uniting states under a universal set of guidelines is pushed further away.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

10/27/2015