Common Core Standards

The newest attempt at improving public education - Common Core Standards - have now been adopted by 47 of our 50 United States! These standards, some say, are yet another set of skills that already over-burdened teachers are expected to take on. Others claim that the standards are nothing new, simply a refocusing of efforts on skills that will return benefits to the widest spectrum of subjects.

It certainly doesn't help when the facilitator in a district which will remain nameless starts the common core standards information session with, "We aren't going to teach literature anymore because the majority of what kids will be tested on and therefore need to be reading is fact-based information". Not the way to win friends and influence people, that's for sure!

What is amazing is that this same person repeated the same statement prior to a training session during which the trainer pointed out that more than 50% of Kindergarten, 40% of 1st to 2nd grade, 35% of 3rd to 4th grade, and 30% of 4th to 8th grade English/language arts reading instruction will still be literature. I ceased to listen to what the facilitator said several years ago, and this only solidified my practice of putting things this person says in the "junk-mail" folder.

What I hate about the "new" common core standards (CCS's) isn't the standards themselves, but rather the reason behind them. Like many "new" education mandates, the CCS's do not spring from a desire to help children grow into well rounded, inquisitive, thoughtful, creative, caring, logical, healthy, happy adults but rather from the mandate that they PASS THE TEST!!!

And it's really not even the test I hate. After all, "The Test" has been around since before I was in grade school. I remember filling in the bubbles back in the 70's. What has changes is the emphasis on the results. If you feel like reading a tirade of sorts see this post of mine.

So, what are your thoughts on the CCS's? How do you feel about teaching reading and writing skills in Social Studies, Science, or Math? Have a great day!