The Next Step in Education: Common Core Standards

Common Core Standards: Are They Right?

Over the last couple months, I have completed a informal survey of about 200 high schools students.  I asked them one question:

Are you challenged in school or the majority of the time are you bored? Almost 80-90% of them say that they are bored.

John Taylor Gatto, a New York City school teacher for over 30 years and twice named New York City Teacher of the Year, had this to say about his time within the compulsory school system. “I taught for thirty years in some of the worst schools in Manhattan, and in some of the best, and during that time I became an expert in boredom.”

So school reform is good, right?

Yes, but not with more rules on standardized test results. We must get back to challenging our young people to think in complete, whole thoughts, not be concerned about meeting some minimum standard of education. In other words, Common Core will force the teachers to lower the standard of teaching even further to the match the lowest common denominator in order to make sure no one is left behind. (Compounding the failed George Bush attempt at school reform)

Young people must research and educate themselves to see the possibilities in life and to accept the responsibility of success and failure, right and wrong, as well as, the understand the difference between reality and illusion.

If they don’t, we will continue to see more young people playing video games or watching television while sitting on the couch unable to think without their phone.

Here are a couple additional posts around the internet on the Common Core Standards:

1.  Fox News on Common Core at the Elementary Level

2.  Ron Paul on the Bush Administration “No Child Left Behind” and the Obama Common Core Curriculum.

3.  Wikipedia Definitions and Details

4.  Video Presentation mentioning that the Common Core standard for math is 3 x 4=11.

5.  Common Core Standards website

6.  Tragedy and Hope’s Richard Grove with Charlotte Iserbyt on CommonCore