I would say that there are many valid criticisms of Common Core, but HSLDA seems to prefer the other kind.
I would agree with Dude. Our state had grade level standards before, and those will be replaced by CC. Updating standards from time to time does not have to be a nefarious conspiracy. Some state standards had been set deliberately low to help the state meet NCLB benchmarks.
The superintendent in our district says that the new standards raise the bar, and projects that higher expectations for students due to CC will lead to better performance. At the same time, she is on the record as saying that raising the *baseline* for expectations does not mean leaving behind students who are already beyond the levels set by CC.
I think in some areas, CC will be applied with a generous dose of common sense, and the outcomes will be positive, and in other areas it will be used in ways it was probably not intended, i.e., to hold back advanced learners.
