I’m no Common Core fan, but give it a chance
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| AND THE CHOIR SINGS ON |
As our national battle over the Common Core standards escalates this year, remember that new standards and curricula rarely improve schools. What does work is families becoming more affluent, teachers becoming more proficient and students spending more time and energy on their studies.
New lesson plans and textbooks such as those being unleashed by the Common Core in nearly all states have no effect on parental income. Some teachers and students may do better when there are changes in what they study, but so far there is little proof of that.
That does not mean, however, that we should dump the new standards. The Common Core courses, background materials and exams may have no effect, but most of the teachers I have asked about this say they want to try them anyway.
That does not mean, however, that we should dump the new standards. The Common Core courses, background materials and exams may have no effect, but most of the teachers I have asked about this say they want to try them anyway.
Surveys suggest that such feelings are widespread in faculty rooms. If teachers are for it, that’s enough for me. Their happiness with what they are doing — and their confidence in it — always has been crucial to schools’ success.
The quality of teaching in the Washington area is high, largely because of the parental
