Rep. O’Dea Signs Petition Forcing Hearings on Common Core, Teacher Evaluation

HARTFORD – State Representative Tom O’Dea (R-125) was among the signatories of petitions filed Wednesday by House Republicans that forced the Chairs of the General Assembly’s Education Committee to hold formal public hearings on two bills related to the controversial Common Core curriculum and the new public school teacher evaluation process. Despite substantial public outcry, the majority party had refused to raise the bills in the Education Committee.

The petitioning process, which is seldom used, allows legislators to overrule decisions by legislative committees on holding public hearings for bills. House Republicans gathered the required 51 signatures from their caucus members under Joint Rule 11 in order to file the petitions that triggered the requirement for the two bills to be raised with a public hearing to follow.

“Stakeholders have a right to be heard and this should have happened long ago. Those affected will have valuable input and I look forward to hearing from interested parties,” said Rep. O’Dea.

One of the Republican bills to be raised codifies the proposals brought forth by the committee created to establish teacher evaluation standards known as the Performance Evaluation Advisory Council.

The second bill, authored by state Rep. Marilyn Giuliano (R-23), would freeze the implementation of the Common Core Standards until all stakeholders have time to examine its potential effects and consider possible changes.

The Education Committee’s Democratic Chairs had agreed only to hold an “informational hearing” where the speakers would be selected ahead of time by the Chairs and the discussion controlled by time constraints, with no members of the public participating. That hearing is to be held on Friday, February 28. The date for the public hearing triggered by the House Republicans’ petitions has not yet been set.