More than two-and-a-half years ago, the Colorado State Board of Education adopted the Common Core standards. Just this last December the State Board took another careful look at the decision, as this School Reform News article by my Education Policy Center friend notes.

For a number of reasons, the issue has gained greater national notoriety of late. I could link to a number of articles, but two very recent commentaries in the debate present a worthy read. School Reform News editor Joy Pullmann and Heritage Foundation analyst Lindsey Burke raise serious questions that need to be addressed.

To me, the Common Core looks like an empty vessel waiting to be filled up, for good or for ill. Some are more sanguine about where they might lead, despite real criticisms of the standards’ quality. Others are more concerned about the prospects, given the real dangers of federal entanglement. The latter is why next Tuesday, April 16, at noon eastern time, opponents have organized a #stopcommoncore Twitter rally.

In any case, little old Eddie (that’s me!) thinks we should focus mostly on the antidote: school choice. Recognize parental authority to direct their children’s education, promote great ideas like scholarship tax credits, and empower the people. Meanwhile, I’ll try to sort out everything else.