Bobby Jindal Flip-Flops On Major Education Issue

In the past several years, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has gone from a "strong supporter" of the Common Core Standards to someone who compares them to "centralized planning" in Russia.

A New Orleans Times-Picayune article Thursday suggests Jindal's presidential ambitions and the polarizing nature of the new education standards may have contributed to his change in position.

"This is presidential politics," Chas Roemer, president of Louisiana's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, told the newspaper, referring to Jindal’s view of the standards that have been adopted in more than 40 states, including Louisiana. "This is the politics of our governor, who is running for president."

Federal funding encouraged states to adopt the standards, which lay out what students should know by the end of each grade in reading and math. The standards were developed in part by a group of governors that included Jindal.

With the exception of a few steadfast Republican Common Core supporters like Jeb Bush, conservative politicians and tea party enthusiasts have portrayed the standards as an example of federal overreach. Similarly, Jindal, who originally praised the Common Core as raising educational bar for students, has since spoken against what he describes as increasing federal involvement in the standards. He also has complained the implementation of the standards has been rushed.

Below is a timeline showing how Jindal’s remarks about the Common Core have evolved: