Two Republican senators filed legislation to repeal common core in Tennessee and create a new panel to recommend different standards for public schools.

The new standards, which have phased into Tennessee classrooms for the past four years, must be in place when K-12 public students enter schools in the 2016-17 school year.

Senate Education Committee Chairman Delores Gresham, who is for the new standards said,” First and foremost, this legislation is committed to the highest standards to keep our students moving forward. We want to continue to be the fastest-improving state in the nation, providing a model for education improvement.”

The move to repeal common core is designed to guarantee Tennessee students continue to learn and improve by applying the highest standards and wielding state control over education.

The bill cancels the current memorandum of understanding with the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers or Common Core standards for English, Language Arts and Math. Both groups were involved in the push for Common Core standards.

Earlier this year, Common Core critics demanded a delay in the state’s testing based on the new standards after conservative grounds charged Common Core was the work of President Obama and amounted to a federal effort to take over education.

The standards were developed and underway long before Obama became president, but the administration embraced the standards intended to put states on the same page with respect to what students should know in English and math.

Tennessee is another state striving to make the changes it needs to help its students reach their potential. I think the new standards may be just what the state needs to continue to maintain high academic standards. I am eager to hear if this attempt to repeal the standards is a success.