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Workman Called Out for Wildly Exaggerating Anti-Common Core Work
July, 2016Allison Neilsen of Sunshine State News did another excellent investigative piece showing the absolutely false claim of Rep. Ritch Workman that he "led the fight to abolish Common Core" in one of his campaign ads. His second ad misleadingly claims he, "voted to remove Common Core from our schools." Dr. Effrem was interviewed. Here is an excerpt
SSN looked further into Workman's claims and found he has sponsored no bills relating to abolishing Common Core in Florida out of the 46 bills he sponsored over the last three years.
Workman's involvement has been so little in the fight against Common Core that anti-Common Core groups are hearing his name and asking: "Who?"
"It infuriates me," said executive director of Florida Stop Common Core Coalition Karen Effrem on the ad. "He hasn't been involved with any of us and we have done multiple events around the state and he was never at any of them, ever."
Workman will face off against Rep. Debbie Mayfield for Florida's Senate District 17 in the primary election, and Workman's comments about abolishing Common Core are problematic in the eyes of anti-CCSS activists.
Mayfield has been generally beloved among anti-Common Core activists, who have turned to her for support in their education policies since 2013.
To them, Workman's words feel especially hollow since they say he hasn't even shown up or contacted them to push reforms in the Sunshine State.
Workman then dug himself a deeper hole by denigrating the efforts of Rep. Debbie Mayfield, his opponent in the Republican Senate primary for Florida District 17, who has been by far and away the greatest anti-Common Core champion in the House. Here is part of a conversation on Twitter between Dr.. Effrem and Workman:
It is highly ironic that Workman would both so grossly inflate his anti-Common Core record and denigrate the work of Mayfield who has filed more bills, resolutions, and memorials than any other member of the Florida House against Common Core, invasive high-stakes testing and federal interference in education. She has worked with FSCCC and many other groups, spoken around the state and been mentioned by national organizations like Truth in American Education and American Principles in Action.
Regarding Common Core, the evidence is clear. Debbie Mayfield has been a true anti-Common Core warrior, while concernsrkman's ads mislead. If he so brazenly exaggerates his record on Common Core, something that is so easily verifiable, he must not have very much respect for the intelligence and concerns of his potential constiutents. What else do District 17 voters need to know about this man?
.@RitchWorkman Passion & concern are good things. Action & an actual record of fight to #EndFedEd like @debbie_mayfield would be better!
-- Karen Effrem (@libertydocKaren) June 21, 2016
.@RitchWorkman You have not answered my ?s & has your work against #CommonCore been seen by outside groups like @TruthinAmEd @EagleForum?
-- Karen Effrem (@libertydocKaren) June 21, 2016
It is highly ironic that Workman would both so grossly inflate his anti-Common Core record and denigrate the work of Mayfield who has filed more bills, resolutions, and memorials than any other member of the Florida House against Common Core, invasive high-stakes testing and federal interference in education. She has worked with FSCCC and many other groups, spoken around the state and been mentioned by national organizations like Truth in American Education and American Principles in Action.
Regarding Common Core, the evidence is clear. Debbie Mayfield has been a true anti-Common Core warrior, while concernsrkman's ads mislead. If he so brazenly exaggerates his record on Common Core, something that is so easily verifiable, he must not have very much respect for the intelligence and concerns of his potential constiutents. What else do District 17 voters need to know about this man?
