Dive Brief:

• After an unsuccessful attempt last year to persuade Congress to defund the Common Core, Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) is trying again.
• Grassley has distributed a “Dear Colleague” letter, asking fellow senators to sign a message asking the Senate's education budget leaders to not put any more money into the 2015 budget that would be used to develop or promote the Common Core.
• The letter, which was published by the blog "Caffeinated Thoughts," explains that the Common Core was initially meant to be a voluntary effort between states but “federal incentives have clouded the picture.” Grassley is speaking specifically about Race to the Top, which insists states adopt a “common set of K-12 standards” if they want a reasonable chance of competing for the funding. 

Dive Insight:

While Sen. Grassley’s letter is well-executed and thought out, it is unlikely to get too far. His main opposition will most likely be Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) who is a supporter of the Common Core and the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and also the chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Education.