I also think that he's talking about Tiger cubs. We're such small demographic that I don't think he's referring to kids who are accelerated in order to meet their individual needs as learners.
He's definitely talking about the "you HAVE to finish calculus in high school" track as representing "rigor" and some kind of badge of smartness/worthiness in high school students. That's not at all the same thing as a student who legitimately takes a very rigorous approach to mathematics but simply does it FASTER than most learners can. Those students are somewhat rare. That's what he's getting at; undermining the prestige of "advanced in mathematics" for its own sake, and a return to rigorous learning-- for ITS own sake.
This seems to be what he is talking about here,
The Common Core Mathematics Standards Implications for Administrators :
At least among the better standards, change usually means reshuffling or wordsmithing the same collection of statements. If some standards are moved up to an earlier grade, then many would consider the new set of standards to be more rigorous.
In this metric, a set of rigorous standards is one in which each topic is taught as early as possible.
The underlying assumption is that the mathematics of the school curriculum is set and done, and is beyond reproach, so that all that remains for a set of standards to do is to package its many components judiciously.
Instead of engaging in the senseless game of acceleration--teaching each topic as early as possible--CCMS asks if we are properly preparing our students to learn the mathematics they need to learn.
But in his Huffington Post blog, he links to this article
Common Core Math in North Carolina Would Keep Elementary Students From Taking Middle School Courses which specifically mentions gifted students.
Under new education reforms adopted by North Carolina, gifted elementary school students will no longer be able to take middle school courses formerly available to them. . . . school officials say that as a result of the more challenging curriculum, even the most gifted elementary students will find enough intellectual stimulation without taking middle school classes. Fifth-grade teachers can also introduce sixth grade level material in their classes.
Whether he means to include gifted students or is just talking about tiger cubs, I believe that many (if not most) school administrators interpret the shift to Common Core as eliminating the need for acceleration.
