Yeah, I read this. I wonder how many people actually read the Common Core. When it first started, it was just math and language arts (at least what I read was). It talked about development and provided a guideline on how to help move to more open ended type things once the basics were covered. I actually liked the way the guidelines allowed for students of different abilities.
That being said, I have a HUGE problem with the way it has been implemented - at least in our school system. EVERYTHING has to be tied to the common core. The schools seem to use the Common Core not as a guideline, but as a curriculum. Not only that, but nothing is taught outside the MIN requirements. I am MOST disappointed the school uses the Common Core against grade skipping or acceleration stating the Common Core allows for higher level of thinking within the "curriculum" - yet without the use of higher level content.
I think (my own opinion, obviously), this mismatch is the source of a lot of frustration even with parents trying to figure out what on earth the school wants. In addition, the curriculum that is sold as Common Core, baffles me. I am quite certain that it was not written by experts in the field.
It is really too bad how poorly the GUIDELINES were implemented. It is equally sad to me to see the misinterpretations of something that could have been somewhat helpful for a foundation.
I agree completely. The way common core was designed was really good, but rather than adopting it as a framework, within which to create an appropriate curriculum, or even within which to modify the current curriculum, textbook makers completely screwed it up and wrote it as the curriculum and school boards adopted it that way.
As a teacher it makes me so frustrated because there was some really good stuff in the common core framework that would have improved mathematics understanding if implementation had been done correctly.
Science also rewrote their standards and are largely compatible with the common core, BUT they did it the right way and haven't turned it into a badly designed curriculum (at least not yet).
I think if it had been introduced as a framework and the minimum standards and schools were allowed to rewrite their curriculum to fit the new standards in the next 5 years it would have been fine, but since it was wrapped up into a lot of federal funding and grants for schools, there wasn't the time or understanding by the teachers about what it really is. They were simply told they have to teach it or the school loses funding.
Since the textbook companies are making a bundle off it, within the next year there will be NO textbooks available that are not tied to the common core. It will then take another 3-5 years to get a company to agree to make another set of new books possibly not tied to the core, but depending on how often your school allows new books to be ordered, it could be 10 years before common core is out of classrooms.
