12-13-13 education standards

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democrats are speaking out against recommendations of a Republican-led committee that reviewed Common Core academic standards in Wisconsin.  The committee was meeting Thursday to vote on recommendations that call for additional legislative review and restrictions under the standards, which were adopted in 2010.  But Democratic Rep. Sondy Pope says many of the concerns raised are unrealistic. She says, "I just feel like through this process I should be watching for some boogeyman or black helicopter that may be hovering around."  Republicans say they are concerned about protecting student privacy and preventing the state from taking biometric data from them like fingerprints and retinal scans.  The panel's recommendations are expected to lead to a variety of legislative bills to be considered next year.