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in now to go back, but we need to make it work the best we can," Hunhoff said.
• Schopp said Gov. Dennis Daugaard has read the new standards, supports them and wants to deal with criticisms so officials can turn their attention to other education issues.
• The state's prior standards were not rigorous enough, and the Common Core standards will help make sure South Dakota's high school graduates are ready for jobs or further education, she said.
• Testing also will show how students compare with those in other states, Schopp said. The first online tests under Common Core will be given this spring but will be used mainly to determine how the test works and whether districts have sufficient Internet capacity and equipment, she said.
• Many of the criticisms don't involve the actual standards but instead focus on a local district's curriculum or teaching methods, Schopp said. If South Dakota got rid of Common Core, any replacement would still require students to learn the same math and language skills in the same grades, she said.
• Worries about Common Core are growing nationwide, Bolin said. He said he's been fighting Common Core for several years, but other South Dakota lawmakers are joining him.
• "I just have a few more allies now," Bolin said.
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