CCSS: The Black Hole of Education
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: the Common Core is “Obamacore.” No? If you haven’t, then you’ve been living under a rock, somewhere. Yes, the infamous Common Core State Standards (CCSS) has drawn criticism from the political left, and the right. It’s fascinating to witness both sides of the political spectrum unite against the CCSS. If only they could do the same for a host of other issues and policies. Nevertheless, the CCSS is the most controversial, yet distracting, piece of education reform. It literally consumes almost all education reform discussions and debates via social media. This is why I call the CCSS: The Black Hole of Education.
Now, before you think this piece will add to the long-list of criticisms and concerns, let me assure you that it will not. I’ll not express my concerns about the CCSS. I’ll not offer criticisms or credit, either. Instead, I wish to express why, I believe, the CCSS has distracted educators from doing what they do best: collaborating. I’m genuinely concerned that educators are becoming so comfortable in complaining about the CCSS, that collaboration, via social media, is often neglected. Why? Well, more and more, I’m finding it difficult to discuss anything other than the CCSS. For this reason, and this reason alone, I’ve assembled a few questions, which I believe the “black hole” of education has sucked into the ether.
#1 Is our profession reduced to criticizing education policies, alone?
There’s a wealth of knowledge among teachers, which, in my opinion, is worth sharing. I, for one,