March 18, 2010 2:04PM 

# Run Away from ‘Common’ Education Standards 

By [Neal McCluskey](https://www.cato.org/people/neal-mccluskey) 

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A couple of days ago, Fordham Institute president Chester Finn [declared on NRO ](http://article.nationalreview.com/427893/back-to-basics/chester-e-finn-jr)that conservatives should embrace new, national education standards from the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Today I [respond to him on *The Corner*](http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NjA4YzRjNTVlY2Q4OGUyMGFhZjEwOGNjNGNiZWMxYzY=), and let’s just say it’s clear that neither conservatives, nor anybody else, should embrace national standards.

Oh, one more thing: I shouldn’t have to keep saying this to savvy Washington insiders like the folks at Fordham, but when the federal government bribes states with their own citizens’ tax money to do something, doing that thing is hardly voluntary, at least in any reasonable sense.

For more wise thoughts on the national standards issue, check out this [interview with Jay Greene](http://www.educationnews.org/michael-f-shaughnessy/74331.html), and this [*Sacramento Bee* piece ](http://www.sacbee.com/2010/03/18/2614987/dont-let-feds-control-local-education.html)by Ben Boychuk. Oh, and this [interview with yours truly](http://www.educationnews.org/michael-f-shaughnessy/74311.html).

##### Related Tags 

[Education](https://www.cato.org/education), [General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Center for Educational Freedom](https://www.cato.org/center-educational-freedom) 

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