Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/332945
and have the federal government become the father." Fisher taught in the Connecticut school system, "where kids are routinely getting pregnant," but he says broader sex education isn't the answer. "You need to have a unified message that marriage is the way to go," he adds. For Fisher, the main issue in the race is obvi- ous: Common Core. The State of Florida this year reviewed and edited the national edu- cational standards and replaced them with its own version, the Florida Standards, but Fisher calls that a mere "shell game." He says the new standards too closely mirror Common Core, which puts excessive empha- sis on abstract thinking for the lower grades and is way too easy for the higher grades. "They should be teaching A Tale of Two Cities, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Animal Farm by George Orwell, Emily Dickinson," Fisher tells the News Leader. "They should be teach- ing The Federalist Papers. They should be teaching hardcore liberal arts, to think about how people lived in different times, not what type of Maytag washing machine you should buy." Fisher accuses Common Core propo- nents such as Microsoft founder Bill Gates of supporting the standards so they can, in turn, make money designing software and tests. In his comments, Fisher echoes the thoughts of tea party leader Randy McLendon, who is running for the School Board in a sepa- rate race. The question that confronts both of them is what can a School Board member do to oppose statewide standards that have already been adopted and implemented in the county's lower grades? Fisher says he'll put together a petition to present to the area's legislative delegation and that state represen- tatives will feel the heat. Gov. Rick Scott (right) with Sarasota City Commissioner Paul Caragiulo at a Gulf Coast Builders Exchange event. Photo courtesy flgov.com Sarasota News Leader June 20, 2014 Page 14