Common Core Curriculum- Here We Go Again!

Here we go again. The latest new “best idea” for improving public education in the United States is upon us and with not a little bit of criticism. Whether it’s No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top or if you are a more veteran teacher, team teaching, ability grouping, etc. You get the picture. In a nation where the federal constitution specifically ignores the education of its citizens- making it the purview of the individual states- we now have what is tantamount to a national curriculum. This new magic bullet is called the “Common Core Standards.”The content areas to be included in this program are English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Literacy standards. Social studiers and science are not included in this phase of the program. These new core standards will be implemented in grades kindergarten through the twelfth grade. The essence of the program is to get students to do more than rote learn the material. The goals include getting students to determine independence, build strong content knowledge, comprehend as well as critique, value evidence and use technology. The English language objectives include reading more complex narrative information text. The mathematic objective include attending to precision, construct viable arguments and critique  reasoning of other, and to reason abstractly and quantitatively.

While some of the goals are lofty and  desirable there are several flaws in the fed’s thinking. First- There have been no field studies of the program. It will be implemented beginning in the fall in some of the grades. Second, and of great concern to teachers, is that until now there has been no significant professional development to aid in the program's implementation. These issues take on great significance in those states where teacher evaluations and even salary increases are tied to student performance on the assessments that go with these programs. It should also be noted that five states have opted out of participating in the program. Interestingly enough, Texas, home of the original No Child Left Behind law, is not participating in the Common Core initiative. For  more information go to http://www.corestandards.org/.

There are a number of groups that are against the implementation of Common Core. You can read about their objections at the web site www.stopcommoncore.com. This group spearheaded in Georgia, seeks to return education to local control. Another site, www.truthinamericaneducation.com is chronicling protest movements and objections to Common Core around the country.

You are encouraged to look at all of the facts and make up your own mind. Is this the real “ best new thing” or just another scheme that will soon fall by the wayside?

c.2013 J. Margolis