Andy Thomson: A Political Leader with Courage

The National Review in May of this year in an article titled, Two Moms vs. Common Core explains: “Common Core is a set of math and English standards developed largely with Gates Foundation money and pushed by the Obama administration and the National Governors Association. The standards define what every schoolchild should learn each year, from first grade through twelfth, and the package includes teacher evaluations tied to federally funded tests designed to ensure that schools teach to Common Core. Over 40 states hurriedly adopted Common Core, some before the standards were even written, in response to the Obama administration’s making more than $4 billion in federal grants conditional on their doing so. Only Texas, Alaska, Virginia, and Nebraska declined. (Minnesota adopted the English but not the math standards.)”

Adopted by forty-two out states in 2010, the Common Core State Standard Initiative strives to provide an educational structure which details what English language arts and mathematics should be taught from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The initiative is the federal government’s attempt to ensure all students who graduate from high school are adequately prepared to enter a two or four year college or the workforce. Despite their intentions, the Common Core has caused much controversy in the education community. The thought behind Common Core is very valid and has the potential to help students, however changes must be made to unrealistic standards and wordy statements. Common Core must first be rewritten so that the language is clear and can be easily understood by the general public. Next ask experts on childhood development and elementary school teachers to review the standards and rewrite standards they see as unneeded or irrelevant as well as unrealistic.

There are many opinions to whether the Common Core should be enforced across the United States. One of the most wildly accepted views is that even though the Common Core could be a good idea, it is unnecessary, that America has done just fine without it. The Common Core is not working how it should and schools should go back to the way it was before. Many professors and researchers agree that the Common Core does not work and might even be hurting the youth of America. Parents who disagree with the Common Core have started pulling their children out of public school resulting in national education to be even less standardized, which is the opposite affect than what the Common Core was meant for. It is also not preparing students for future

Prior to writing this response paper, I had no pre-existing knowledge revolving around Common Core other than the negative ideas and opinions I’ve only vaguely heard, often including photos of honestly outrageous equations. What exactly is Common Core, according to them, and what is the goal? By definition, the Common Core State Standards Initiative details a list of subjects for students kindergarten through twelfth grade to have learned the by the end of each specific grade. The ultimate goal is to be certain that students across all of the states receive the same education and reach the same requirements in order to be prepared for college work; or, rather, the standardized tests that will determine whether or not they are even granted access into college in the first place.

Common Core is built as an infective for education to all schools, but what it is, is a policy that all students learn the same. Common Core has been adopted in forty-three states around the nation. Common Core is designed to get students ready for college and career ready from grades Kindergarten through twelfth grade. “The basic definition of what Common Core is, a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy.” (Board)“The college- and career-readiness standards were developed first and then incoporated into the K-12 standards in the final cersion of the Common Core we have today.” (Practices) The construction of Common Core was by seeing which state standards were already the best, using experienced teachers, leading-thinkers, content experts, and also public feedback about their child’s education. Common Core is currently being endorsed by the White House. “Common Core is currently costing the United States eighty billion dollars.” (Board) Common Core was created by state educational chiefs and governors from forty-eight states. Common Core states that it will get students ready for their futures, but has only hurt them by not truly completing the goals set. Common Core is developmentally inappropriate for students because the cost of Common Core, it is pushed by the government for competition between states, and the strong implantation of standardized testing.

Common Core State Standards is being heard throughout the education world. Many cringe when the words are spoken and many fight to support what the words stand for. Common Core was introduced in 2009 by state leaders. Common Core State Standards were developed to prepare children for the business world or the reality after grade school. “The Common Core is a set of high-quality academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy, also known as ELA” (About the Standards, n.d.). The goals for the standards outline what students should know before leaving his or her current grade level. “The standards were created to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life, regardless of where they live” (About the Standards, n.d.). This is an ambitious goal, but with much support can be accomplished. According to Common Core State Standards Initiative (n.d.) The Common Core has been adopted by forty-two states already and is accompanied by District of Columbia and Department of Defense Education Activity. Common Core was developed to improve the academics in society’s schools. Academics in the past years have not been successful and the United States has fallen behind international education. “One root cause has been an uneven patchwork of academic standards that vary from state to state and do not agree on what students should know and be able to do at each

There has always been a great emphasis and focus placed on the education system in the US because of how it helps grows and develops the abilities and potential of the future generation. However, there have been major shortcomings in the American educational system that has caused the US to stagnate in the education market. Thus the Common Core State Standards was created to counter this lack of proficiency and consistency in education that was seen throughout the country. The Common Core was developed in 2009 by state leaders, governors and commissioners of education from 48 states (P&R "Policy & Research." Common Core State Standards Policy Initiative). It is a set of high-quality academic standards and mathematics and English

Though the American Common Core has slightly improved national percents in Math and English, it has many adverse effects on our state rights, economy, teachers, and children. The fundamental goal of the Common Core is to get every school, teacher, and classroom in America to follow the same national standards. This system means teachers and parents have little power over what their children learn in the classroom; it is a federal intervention in state-led affairs. Another negative point about the common core is the massive price to run and implement. For example in Washington, “{The}Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction estimates that Common Core will cost the state $300 million.” And in California, “{The} California

Many Americans, including teachers, are very displeased with the new standards children are having to live up to. If parents knew what the Common Core is doing to the classroom, there would be a revolt.; a quote directly from a New York high school instructor. Instead of teaching the fundamental basics of education, many teachers are too heavily stressed on the fact they have to meet a deadline and rush through important materials needed for adolescents future success.

Education has been changing and developing for centuries, and with change comes differing of opinions. The Common Core standards are the most recent attempt to educate the best students in the United States. Although teachers at schools implementing Common Core are learning new methods of teaching, the standards do not dictate what approach they should take; these standards are what students should comprehend and be able to do by the end of the term or scholastic year. Provided that students are invested in their personal educations, students should be better prepared for their lives in the “real world,” what some call the portion of life following high school as a result. The Common Core standards should be the standards of education in the United States as it will improve the abilities of students more and produce conscientious citizens of the world capable of contribution.

Common Core is an initiative that has been implemented in schools across the nation, and is the curriculum that is being taught to school aged children to the high schools. The goal of Common Core is that each teacher, no matter what state they reside, will have a “clear, understandable, and consistent”(Common Core Website) way to teach to students. Through the standards of Common Core students in each grade level throughout the country are taught a uniform curriculum. While the ideals and goals of Common Core seem great on paper they have failed to be implemented in a proper way to actually have use to the students under their restrictions and requirements.

The Common Core is a set of academic standards in both mathematics and English language arts/literacy (ELA). These standards were created to insure that all students, no matter where in the United States and regardless of social economic standing all will acquire the necessary skills to graduate and allow for success in college and or a career. With these learning goals students progressively gain the tools for each grade. The standards define the knowledge and skills students should gain throughout their K-12 education. The standards are research and evidence based goals that include clear, understandable, and consistent lessons that are aligned with college and career expectations with higher order thinking skills. In North Carolina,

The Common Core State Standards are being attacked by both sides of the political aisle. The left feels that the CCSS policy makers will use them to punish teachers. The right feel that the CCSS is an over-reach by the federal government. Those who support the common core standards believe that they will help reduce achievement gaps amongst students. It 's clear that the policies set forth in the past have not been working, based on the current ranking of America to other countries. The comparison of where we once stood also comes into question and shows a steady decline. Granted, many of the recent decades ' policies were not in effect long enough to see if they would potentially

The Common Core standards are the newest ways of educating students. On the subject of this, in 2008, the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State and School Officers worked together to form the standards based off of feedback from educators. The Council of Chief State and School Officers includes individuals from the education departments of every state (Educational Standards and Curriculum). Regarding who had the ideas to create this curriculum, their intentions were to use the Common Core to create guidelines for

Continuing to have common core in our schools is destroying our kids lives. It is making them stressed mentally and physically just about taking one test: Parents can do very little to help their children, since it is a new way of learning. Both the parents and the children know little so they must be taught at the same time or not at all. Common core is causing a gap in the education system, making it harder for parents to help their children learn.