Washington ( CNN ) When Louisiana Republican Gov . Bobby Jindal recently finished a speech blasting the Common Core education standards , a room full of activists from the conservative American Principles Project jumped from their seats in applause . Less than a year ago , they might have rushed for the door . The scene of Jindal railing against Common Core -- the education standards embraced by more than 40 states -- stands in stark contrast to his enthusiastic approval of the program when it was first introduced . Jindal proclaimed to business leaders in 2012 that Common Core `` will raise expectations for every child . '' In a short time , Jindal has gone from serving as a steward of the Common Core standards to one of the nation 's chief critics . But what 's more remarkable is that conservatives -- known for seeking ideological purity in their politicians -- are n't blasting Jindal as a flip-flopper as he considers a 2016 presidential run . Instead , they see him as uniquely positioned to be a leading advocate for their cause with the governor 's office to back up . Indeed , many on the right have accepted Jindal 's repentance and are propping him up as an unlikely model for the anti-Common Core movement . `` Of the governors , he 's been the most active in speaking out on the issue , '' Emmett McGroarty , APP 's education policy director , told CNN . `` Quite frankly , he is the governor who has done the most to remove his state from Common Core . '' This week , Jindal released an education proposal through his nonprofit advocacy network , `` America Next , '' that in part recants his support . The paper seeks to absolve Jindal of his previous position by claiming he had been misled through `` deception . '' `` It was a bait-and-switch , '' Jindal told reporters Monday at a luncheon at the Heritage Foundation , a conservative think tank . `` It was n't what we 've been told . It was n't what we had been promised . '' But how did Jindal go from championing the program to becoming one of its leading opponents ? In 2012 , after Jindal and other governors implemented the program , Common Core became a lightning rod issue among grassroots conservative activists who bemoaned it as a `` federal takeover of education . '' In 2013 , Jindal began expressing concerns about the program after his staff held meetings with Common Core opponents in the state . While some of the most vocal opposition to Common Core came from conservatives worried about increasing federal control of local education , many parents also voiced concerns about the substance of the curriculum , particularly noting that their children found it confusing . Other savvy Republicans , particularly those with White House-sized ambitions , began to take note . At conservative gatherings over the next year , Common Core grew into one of the most talked-about issues . Suddenly , almost every conservative who had ever hinted at having presidential ambitions wanted to make it clear that they opposed the new standards . Former Arkansas Gov . Mike Huckabee , who once supported Common Core , came out against it . The rallying cry `` repeal Common Core ! '' became -- and remains -- a consistent crowd-pleaser in speeches by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas . In the context of the burgeoning presidential race , the opposition has one added bonus : It lets Jindal use Common Core as a proxy to outline a case against former Florida Gov . Jeb Bush , a consistent Common Core supporter who has also shown interest in running for president . Common Core fight a larger battle over the size of government . Jindal did n't become one of the movement 's biggest proponents overnight . Activists cite his leadership and what they describe as tireless advocacy as handing the anti-Common Core movement new momentum . Anna Arthurs , a mother with school-aged children who has helped lead the grassroots push in Louisiana , said she first met with Jindal 's staff in September 2013 , bringing detailed information about the ills of Common Core . Over the next year , Arthurs and other activists lobbied legislators in Louisiana and the governor 's staff to gather support . Finally , frustrated with the lack of results , Arthurs reached out to her legislator and demanded a meeting with the governor â€ ” and she got it early that summer . That first meeting came around the time when Jindal began to express his firmest opposition to Common Core . And when he flipped , Jindal flipped hard . By May 2014 , Jindal began comparing the way Common Core was being implemented to `` central planning '' in Soviet Russia . Amid a separate education battle with the Department of Justice over the use of school vouchers in Louisiana , Jindal began to accuse Democrats of standing `` in the schoolhouse door to prevent minority kids , '' comparing them to segregationists who fought against the civil rights movement in the 1960s and blocked black students from attending classes with white students . Arthurs , who sat next to the governor at the APP event last week , said that she believes Jindal 's conversion was `` genuine '' and does n't blame Jindal for his initial opposition . Instead , activists claim that Republican governors were duped by a massive public relations campaign and pressure from the National Governors ' Association urging them to sign onto Common Core to secure funding for their cash-strapped states . `` I do n't really blame the governors , '' Arthurs said . `` They heard an informercial ... and they were all picking up the phone and ordering the product before it really ended . ... They did n't stop to ask the question : has this been tested ? '' Jeb Bush is n't saying 'Common Core '
Just a few years ago , the governor of Louisiana was an enthusiastic supporter of Common Core . Now , Bobby Jindal is leading the charge against the program . Why the switch ? `` It was n't what we had been promised ''