On Common Core
Three years ago, when I first investigated the idea of the Common Core State Standards, I thought they were a pretty good idea. Among their attributes, I admired that the CCSS were:
- clear and skill-based
- capable of offering a more meaningful way of assessing schools
- likely to lead to new research around what skills are predictive of success
- amenable to better professional development across the states
- going to lead to better continuity among districts and states
I've since changed my opinion, but not because I no longer value the qualities I listed above. Rather, I've begun to see the effects they've had on schools.
The Standards offer valuable skills for students to learn. But they are far from the only valuable skills. Any student talented in the many skills required of art, music, athletics, leadership, or automotive repair is unlikely to find any reason to enjoy school were s/he to discover that our public education system has trained its focus on Standards that ignore their passion. This is especially a problem since (like virtually every other popularly proposed remedy for public education today) the Standards have been partnered with high-stakes tests.
The longer I teach, the more I'm dazzled by the vast array of useful skills that humans can acquire. As society moves forward, some of the skills humans have depended on for centuries die off and
- clear and skill-based
- capable of offering a more meaningful way of assessing schools
- likely to lead to new research around what skills are predictive of success
- amenable to better professional development across the states
- going to lead to better continuity among districts and states
I've since changed my opinion, but not because I no longer value the qualities I listed above. Rather, I've begun to see the effects they've had on schools.
The Standards offer valuable skills for students to learn. But they are far from the only valuable skills. Any student talented in the many skills required of art, music, athletics, leadership, or automotive repair is unlikely to find any reason to enjoy school were s/he to discover that our public education system has trained its focus on Standards that ignore their passion. This is especially a problem since (like virtually every other popularly proposed remedy for public education today) the Standards have been partnered with high-stakes tests.
The longer I teach, the more I'm dazzled by the vast array of useful skills that humans can acquire. As society moves forward, some of the skills humans have depended on for centuries die off and