More on the Common Core
in the NY Times today.
People are very wound up about high failure rates in New York. I don't know what to think. On the one hand, I see much of this type of testing as largely meaningless in many ways. If the schools had 1) realistic expectations for all the students and 2) taught them properly instead teach using on what amounts to test prep, the tests would be easier for the kids. But we have to keep pushing the ridiculous idea that everyone can perform at age-grade level. So part of me is cynical and assumes that when the test gets a bit harder, the rationalizing and dumbing down will follow. High failure rates get in the way of pretending that everyone should all go college (and assume massive debt while pursuing worthless degrees).
On the other hand, it would be nice to teach meaningful ideas and test in meaningful ways involving thought and discussion, and I cynically suspect that Common Core is simply more of the same factoid drivel, if perhaps slightly harder.
