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Ed chief hopefuls debate standards [Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Cheyenne](Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne, WY) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 11--CASPER -- The two candidates hoping to become Wyoming's next superintendent of public instruction took different stances on educational standards during a debate Thursday night in Casper. Republican Jillian Balow said many states have had "buyer's remorse" over the Common Core State Standards. She said she doesn't want to create more "chaos" or too many changes in the state's classrooms. But she said the state should immediately begin a process to review the standards it has accepted. "As a state, and as a leader, we would be remiss not to have conversations and to look at our standards right now as a baseline, as a starting point, but not an end point," she said. "It is clear that with our current standards, the Wyoming Content and Performance Standards, they were adopted through a process, and no changes in content and performance were made. "Many voices were not heard in that process, and people in Wyoming are upset about that because they need to be heard." Her opponent, Democrat Mike Ceballos, said the standards might need some work, or "tweaks." But he said too many changes to the state's standards or assessments could cause more harm than good. "There is clearly a need for us to be able to stick to some standards, because that is the stability that our system needs," he said. "And the districts can make those changes; they have the ability to do that today." Ceballos also called on the state to accept the Next Generation Science Standards. Lawmakers passed a budget footnote earlier in year that has prevented the State Board of Education from considering those standards. At the time, some lawmakers said they had concerns about how climate change would be taught because of the standards. Ceballos said even though there were some points of contention, he said local school districts are the ones who implement the standards and dictate what is taught in the classrooms. "So if we really believe in that idea of local engagement, local involvement and local control, we shouldn't have a concern that when we pass a science standard, even if it has a couple points that we argue about, that we can't work it out," he said. Balow said more discussions with parents and other stakeholders are needed to make sure the appropriate "values of Wyomingites " are included in the standards. "The issue is not about having standards," she said. "We need high science standards so our children can compete locally, globally and nationally. This is an issue about people not being heard." The two candidates also took different views on whether they have concerns about federal control and politics affecting education in the state. Ceballos said even though he is a Democrat, he considers himself a "conservative businessperson." He said he understands the need to both work with and challenge the federal government when it is needed. He said, for example, when he was president of Qwest, the telecommunications firm that has since become CenturyLink, he had to sue both the state and federal government. "I learned from that that government has a role," he said. "But it better not get into things that it shouldn't." Balow, however, said there are "distinct and fundamental differences" between a Republican and a Democratic candidate. "What I know to be true is that I have serious concerns and reservations about federal government overreach," she said. "And rather than taking a passive approach toward thinking that the federal government is part of the solution, I want to make sure as a leader we have someone who vigilantly opposes the federal government with respect to government overreach." She said she specifically has concerns about shared standards that are adopted without changes and national assessments that could impact local control. But the candidates also agreed on many topics. They both called for greater transparency within the Wyoming Department of Education, stability in testing requirements for students and the need to keep the superintendent of public instruction an elected position. Thursday's debate was sponsored by Casper College and the Casper Star-Tribune. The two candidates will meet again Thursday in Riverton for their second debate. That debate will be shown on Wyoming PBS at 8 p.m. What's next? The two superintendent of public instruction candidates will debate again Thursday in Riverton. The debate will be shown on Wyoming PBS at 8 p.m. ___ (c)2014 Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne, Wyo.) Visit Wyoming Tribune-Eagle (Cheyenne, Wyo.) at www.wyomingnews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |