An Ominous Political Trend for Common Core'ites
by Frederick M. Hess • Aug 15, 2012 at 7:24 am
Cross-posted from Education Week
Cross-posted from Education Week
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When it comes to the Common Core, I see great potential value in states choosing to embrace common, high-caliber reading and math standards, if these are implemented with conviction and attention to how they will interact with current reforms. That said, seems to me there's a huge chance that the whole exercise will go south, with many states implementing the Common Core half-heartedly, while screwing with existing reforms and standards. Such an outcome would ultimately do more harm than good. After all, the easiest course for states that have adopted Common Core standards but have second thoughts is to leave 'em be, and then simply not follow through (especially since most state legislators would probably rather put money into salaries than Common Core'ish obligations for new tests, p.d., or instructional materials.)
This is where the Obama administration's ham-handed machinations have been especially unhelpful, given that it's easy for skeptics to argue that lots of states have essentially adopted the Common Core under duress. In particular, the Obama administration's push in Race to the Top, it's ESEA "blueprint," NCLB
