Some of the problems that have been coming up either aren't because of Common Core or are only related indirectly.
For example, some parents have been frustrated by homework problems given since Common Core. Yes, Common Core does push students to think about things in new ways, so it is going to be different. However, the really frustrating things aren't because of Common Core. Some are due to teachers: we're mostly good, but we all make mistakes. I accidentally gave a homework assignment earlier this year that had NOTHING to do with what we had learned. I apologized to the kids, emailed the parents, and we moved on, but they were annoyed with me that day.
Some of the other problems are due to textbooks. Because everything went down so fast with Common Core, the textbook companies had to rush to get books out. Because of that, they're not as great as we'd like them to be. They are getting better, and some school districts have contracts that allow them to get the latest version each year (consumable books), but the books aren't really awesome yet.
When people complain about Common Core being rushed, that is one complaint that I actually think has some validity. It probably would have been best to slow things down a bit, but it's too late now. Trying to go back would be far worse than just forging ahead. Also, I think the reason they did push such a fast timetable was that they recognized the immediate value to the students, even if things weren't totally smooth for a few years. And it has been valuable to the students. Have things been perfect? No. I really didn't know what to expect on our end of year tests this year, and so I couldn't prepare my kids as well as I wanted to. They were frustrated with the tests. I don't love my textbook. It's taking me time to feel like I'm teaching the Core as well as I want to (though that's always true: I'm always trying to perfect things).
However, even with all that, my kids have been better off since Day 1 of Common Core implementation. They are better writers, they are better readers, and they are better mathematicians. I was able to calm them down about the tests, we worked through the textbook problems together, and they learned that everyone is wrong sometimes.
It might be helpful for parents to know that we have been told we have several years to fully implement Common Core. We aren't expected to have it all perfect immediately, and we aren't expecting the students to either. If you are frustrated with something, talk to your child's teacher. She might be able to explain things better to you, and she might be able to make some changes. And know that, at least in this teacher's opinion, even with the rocky road, your kids are better off now than ever before. If I had a child in school right now, I would want that child learning Common Core.
Finally, again, remember that just because this is a big buzzword right now, that doesn't mean every problem in education is caused by it. Before Common Core, there were teachers who gave too much homework, and there still are. Before Common Core, there were bad textbooks, and there still are. Before Common Core, kids had trouble adjusting to new teachers or grades, and they still do. But there are also good teachers, good textbooks, good growth opportunities for kids, and Common Core adds improved instruction to the good of public schools.
Point #7: Myths
There are a lot of myths out there. I haven't heard them all, but I would like to address a few.
Myth 1: Obamacore/ Federal Control. I addressed this in my first post. Short version: Common Core is a state-developed initiative. The federal department of education liked it and joined the party, but it is not a federal mandate.
Myth 2: Data Mining. I am going to try really hard to refrain from making negative comments about Glenn Beck...but suffice it to say that I think many of his statements are motivated by selling books/ air time. I can't speak for the details for other states, but in Utah, there is not one shred of truth to the rumor that the federal government is going to data mine our test scores. We are giving the federal government exactly the same amount of information on end of year test scores as we have for more than a decade. In fact, Utah recently passed a law clarifying this. So, it would require action by the legislature to give the federal government any more information than we give now. The feds get only one piece of information on individual students. If a child fails a test, the federal government is told that a 5th grade boy received a score of X. That's it. No names.
Another interesting point on this one: many parents have been opting their students out of end of year testing because they disapprove of the data mining. However, there is no option to just excuse a kid from a test. If you opt your child out, their score is reported...as failing. So, by opting your child out, you ensure that data about your child is sent to the federal government (just what I mentioned above). Now, it is still a parent's choice to do that, but you should be aware that if too many students opt out of testing, the school gets penalized.
Myth 3: The passages on the tests are riddled with climate change, gay marriage support, atheism, and promiscuity. The parents aren't allowed to see the tests, and neither are the teachers. Now, again, I can only speak for Utah on this. Originally, we were supposed to be part of the testing with everyone else. In fact, we were going to be the ones writing the tests for nearly the whole nation, ensuring that we had control over what was included. However, in the first wave of Common Core backlash, Utah pulled out of the testing group. So, we are no longer writing the tests, and we had to start over at the 11th hour to completely create our own tests. That's part of the reason we had testing issues this year.
However, teachers can see those tests, and I can pretty much promise you that we always will be able to. At least in Utah, the teachers proctor the tests, so we have to go around monitoring students' progress. The reason I can promise you that will never change is that changing it would cost money and give teachers extra prep time. Our legislators would die before allowing that to happen.
I watched the test passages very carefully this year. I can honestly say that I would have no problem using all but 2 of them in my classroom. (The 2 weren't inappropriate, they just would have produced waves of 6th-grader giggles. I can't give details because of testing ethics, but a comparable example would be a passage on Uranus.) You have to remember: as teachers, we take our job as guardians of the children seriously. This is our community too. Our children go to these schools. If we saw something inappropriate, we would do something about it.
Also, not to negate the importance of protecting your children, but I have serious doubts that a single passage on an end of year test could turn a child into a Communist. I probably tell students to capitalize the first word in a sentence 100 times in a year, and they still can't seem to internalize that.
Most parents are not allowed to see the tests for the purposes of test validity and security. However, in Utah, there is a panel of 30 parents who review every test item. If they have objections to a test item, they write what their objections are. All parents can see those objections, even though they can't see the items. I'm not sure where this information is, but if someone would like it, I know who to email.
Myth 4: Common Core is a curriculum. This is a difference that I didn't know about until recently. Standards just state what a student should learn. A curriculum is how they learn it. So, the standard would be, "Make predictions with evidence." The curriculum would be a unit on the Westing Game. Common Core is NOT a curriculum, and people really need to understand that. When I hear people talking about their fears with having local control pulled from education, they mostly fear having content dictated to them. They don't want their children being forced to read books that contradict their values or do math problems involving how many years it will be until global warming destroys the planet. I understand that: some of the things that are taught in Southern California are not okay with me, and I don't want them coming to Utah. However, Common Core doesn't change anything in this respect.
Curriculum is one of the few places where there is local control in education. Many decisions are made at a state level (where I feel like my pleas fall on deaf ears), but curriculum is chosen by individual school districts, and sometimes even schools or teachers. That means that parents can have a very direct and powerful say in the curriculum used with their children. So, if you hate your child's math book, instead of trying to take down Common Core, call your local school board and tell them you hate it. Go to the meetings. This is something you can actually change.
Common Core does list text exemplars for each level. Those are examples, NOT suggested reading, and most definitely NOT required reading. It is not an attempt to dictate which books are used. "Why are the books listed then?" you ask. The reason they list examples is because it is pretty much impossible to develop a purely objective system for leveling texts. The Lexile system measures the difficulty of vocabulary and sentence structure, but it doesn't measure the complexity of the actual ideas. Case in point: Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a 950 Lexile, or 6th grade level book. That does not mean that it's a high quality sixth grade text I should use in reading groups. There is no automated system to measure figurative language, character development, foreshadowing, etc. So, they have to have text exemplars to help us, as teachers, have an idea of what we're shooting for.
Myth 5: Common Core isn't based on research. I totally bought into this one for awhile, but it's not true. This claim is based on the fact that Common Core was rolled out really quickly without small scale implementation. However, the following quote from corestandards.org explains that it is based on many, many studies pulled from various sources:
"The standards have made careful use of a large and growing body of evidence. The evidence base includes scholarly research, surveys on what skills are required of students entering college and workforce training programs, assessment data identifying college‐ and career‐ready performance, and comparisons to standards from high‐performing states and nations.
In English language arts, the standards build on the firm foundation of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) frameworks in reading and writing, which draw on extensive scholarly research and evidence.
In mathematics, the standards draw on conclusions from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and other studies of high‐performing countries that found the traditional U.S. mathematics curriculum needed to become substantially more coherent and focused in order to improve student achievement, addressing the problem of a curriculum that is 'a mile wide and an inch deep.'"
Myth 6: Common Core increases federal control of education. The only bit of truth to this is that some federal funding is tied to the acceptance of Common Core. However, the idea that "this is just the beginning!" of increased federal control is false. Again, from corestandards.org:
"The federal government will not govern the Common Core State Standards. The Common Core was and will remain a state-led effort. The NGA Center and CCSSO are committed to developing a long-term governance structure with leadership from governors, chief state school officers, and other state policymakers to ensure the quality of the Common Core and that teachers and principals have a strong voice in the future of the standards. States and local school districts will drive implementation of the Common Core."
Also, Common Core has played an part in rolling back federal control. Within the last few years, 33 states have opted out of No Child Left Behind. They have been allowed to do this after demonstrating that they have a plan for school accountability including "'college- and career-ready' standards and grading teachers, using, in part, students' standardized test scores." (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Myth 7: Common Core is "one-size-fits-all." This one is based on the misconception that Common Core is a curriculum. Again, it is just standards. All it says is what a child should know at the end of each grade. It doesn't say what strategies teachers should use to get there. It doesn't say anything about gifted students or struggling students because that's NOT WHAT IT IS. Believe me, our old state standards didn't say a word about gifted or struggling students either. That's not the point of standards. Deciding how to teach and how to individualize for students is a local decision, so Common Core is staying out of it.
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