The Common Core

[Hawk]

Opiners?

When the Circus Descends
David Brooks, NYT

"The new standards won’t revolutionize education. It’s not enough to set goals; you have to figure out how to meet them. But they are a step forward. Yet now states from New York to Oklahoma are thinking of rolling them back. This has less to do with substance and more to do with talk-radio bombast and interest group resistance to change.

The circus has come to town."

Common Core is certainly an interesting approach to reviving our straggling education system. I personally loathe the idea of anything standardized in academia (tests, curriculums, techniques) and don't necessarily believe another half-baked 'overhaul' of the system is going to solve the problems within it.

[50PoundHead]

Thanks for posting this. I've worked in the development of education funding policy for the last 25+ years (background in tax/public finance policy) and, as a result, have been exposed to a lot of the standards discussion that has been taking place since the Clinton administration launched Goals 2000 in the early 1990s. I've learned quite a bit through intellectual osmosis. The irony here is that the development of the Common Core has largely come from the business community, which has long been concerned about the what a diploma means.

Minnesota tried to implement some standards that would have promoted more applied learning to accompany traditional academic subject matter, but our old friend Congresswoman Bachmann (then a State Senator) along with a set of cultural conservatives, derailed that effort by depicting it as the "failed Soviet system" of education. The cultural conservatives were joined in an odd coalition by disgruntled teachers--mostly from academic subject areas--who were somewhat threatened by the standards and contended that the standards would drive the curriculum, which would in turn drive the teaching methods and the last thing one ever wants to do is get between a teacher and their pedagogical training (at least that's what I learned).

The same dynamic is going on with the Common Core standards, which are solely academic. There's concern that it will lead to a national curriculum, which is anathema to a lot of folks along the ideological spectrum. The reasons for the opposition are strikingly different from group to group, but it will be interesting to see if there is a coalescence among these seemingly incompatible groups. The big thing for cultural conservatives couldn't have been summed up better than with the inane comments provided by Elisabeth Hasselback. Lincoln was largely unchurched, but clearly thought about religion a lot. I don't know if that is "liberal" religion or not (and given the charged nature of the word "liberal," perhaps it is best avoided, but if that is the case then so should the word "conservative" unless it is being used in the classical sense), but cultural conservatives tend to want to "religionize" the American story. Folks don't tend to fight about math standards, language arts standards (except for the whole word vs. phonics debate), or science standards (except for the debate around evolution vs. intelligent design), but everybody goes hog wild in the debate over social studies standards. Witness the Texas textbook debate.

I don't know if our American education system is truly struggling. I think the problem is one where the skills of students are not being matched with new economic realities. The Europeans do a much better job of preparing kids for the reality involved in their next life step, whether that be higher education, technical education, or heading straight into the workforce. Of course, the Europeans have a much more developed sense of social/economic class than what exists in the United States and as a result the Europeans are much more regimented in the delivery of high school curriculum. Kids take a test in 7th or 8th grade and then are directed to a curricular track depending on their test score. That would never fly in the United States. There are some encouraging signs in the United States that aims to address this problem. Time magazine had a cover story a couple of months back about a six-year high school program that would give kids a diploma and ISO certificate or Associate of Arts degree when they finish. Tennessee's newly-minted Drive to 55 program is also in this vein.

There has been a huge demographic shift in the United States over the past 50 years and education clearly hasn't recognized that change. Standards have been increased and the kids I see graduating today have been exposed to a lot of academic content in high school that I didn't see until college. Of course, I went to a medium-size rural school in the 1960s. But what happened when I was growing up is that there was a local economy that could absorb non-college bound youth and get them into jobs (many related to the small-scale agricultural economy when someone could make a decent living with a dairy herd of 40 head and 120 acres under till) with which they could not only support themselves, but grow into leading roles in the community. With the collapse of these smaller sub-regional economies, there has been greater stress on the education system to create a product that is portable and can be successfully applied in an economy that is less bound by geography. I think the Common Core has been developed to create a notion of consistency that translates in the new economy. Whether it would or not is anyone's guess.

We spend a lot of money on education and much of it is ill-spent because we continue to stress that college is for everybody. I don't want to make that comment sound as though I'm saying "some kids are too stupid for college and we should throw them on the scrap heap." I'm saying the problem in the American education system is that students are not availed of the broad range of opportunities that exist and the ways to prepare for those opportunities. We continue to treat kids like widgets and grade the delivery system on measures that are incongruous.

I did mention the Common Core a month or so ago in response to a comment you made about Jeb Bush being a possible contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. His support of the Common Core is certainly going to be a hurdle for him if he pursues the nomination and if he is derailed because of his support for the Common Core, it will say a lot about who is running the Republican party. Bush is a decent guy with strong moderate, consensus-building credentials. Those qualities may not fly with the portion of the conservative base that believes the Common Core is out to indoctrinate the youth of America.

[AerchAngel]

Case in point. My child (born in Aug, but you have to have Sep birthday) is the youngest in her class, she had to pass a special test to attend school for those not old enough to enter. She is the second best reader to a girl almost two years older and the teacher can't teach her anything but what caught my ear was the teacher did not believe kids should be taught reading till they are in 1st grade like she was, I was and my wife. She said in the last 15 years the standards have gotten higher and higher but then when these same kids get to be in 3rd and 4th grade they struggle as more things get thrown at them, homework increase and what not. She said they are teaching them higher math as well and have to pass a state appointed test to pass or keep them in kindergarten. How in the heck can you fail kindergarten?

My eldest will turn 21 next month and I am still paying Kindergeld (german child support) and 50 is right, the European system is much better at focusing on what a kid wants out of life. My daughter wanted to go into Dentistry. So while she was in private school (I paid for but you have choices unlike public you are kind of forced), they allow you to pick a curriculum you want to focus on. Since her mother, my ex, is a nurse, she wanted something along that line and then eventually up in Dentistry. Her classes were geared toward her calling while in Hochschule (hybrid high school/technical school) for this path. If you do well enough, which she did, an industry will foot the university bill as long as you work for them as an intern. I wish we did something like this in the states.

[57Brave]

"I'm saying the problem in the American education system is that students are not availed of the broad range of opportunities that exist and the ways to prepare for those opportunities. "

Could we substitute the current American economic system for "American education system" ?

[sturg33]

More centralization of our education system. What could go wrong?

Keep the kids dumb and believing BS we're told everyday so we can continue to be robbed our entire lives.

Makes sense

[thethe]

Getting rid of Boces programs was about the worst idea ever in education.

Also, the majority of teachers you speak to think common core is horrible even if it makes their jobs easier since everything is centralized and hand fed to them.

[The Chosen One]

I'm not the biggest fan of common core but we do need to figure out a way to improve methods for kids to learn.

I've seen some of the questions on the math, and while it might seem unnecessary to make them right out stuff or explicate a solution even more at that young, that's something that a lot of asian kids are forced to learn from their parents at an age younger than what's required in school. I remember my dad forcing me to learn multiplication and division when everyone in my class had just started learning addition and subtraction.

Like 50 said, we need more programs to get kids who aren't going to be the engineers and administrators to transition to working and interning like they do in Europe. Problem is that's going to bring out the commie accusations.

When Santorum called Obama a snob because he said he wanted every kid to go to college, I was upset. I know every child isn't going to need or have to go to college, but attacking POTUS because he's trying to set big goals of having every kid going to college is dumb. Every kid should aspire to college, even if we know they aren't going to make it.

[50PoundHead]

Getting rid of Boces programs was about the worst idea ever in education.

Also, the majority of teachers you speak to think common core is horrible even if it makes their jobs easier since everything is centralized and hand fed to them.

But the Common Core shouldn't do that. If you need kids to reach certain outcomes, the method toward reaching those outcomes doesn't necessarily change. I think that is where the Common Core is a straw argument.

I don't necessarily support the Common Core. I think it does nod toward a national curriculum (which may or may not be a good thing, but certainly raises the hackles of cultural conservatives), but the job of a teacher is to impart knowledge and the Common Core is an expression of the desire to create a portable set of educational outcomes that provide higher education and employers with some measure of assurance that students can demonstrate a certain level academic competence.

[The Chosen One]

The best students in usa aren't affected by common core. The point is to help the mid and bottom tier learn critical thinking. A lot of kids today aren't learning anything just memorizing.

[sturg33]

Since the inception of the Dept. of Education, how has the overall education in this country been affected? Would anyone say that are kids have gotten smarter?

[The Chosen One]

Since the inception of the Dept. of Education, how has the overall education in this country been affected? Would anyone say that are kids have gotten smarter?

Since the inception of the Department of Homeland Security, has the country gotten any safer?

[zitothebrave]

Since the inception of the Department of Homeland Security, has the country gotten any safer?

That argument has no standing with sturg. Big old fail.

[The Chosen One]

That argument has no standing with sturg. Big old fail.

You missed what I did thar. So nvm.

[sturg33]

Since the inception of the Department of Homeland Security, has the country gotten any safer?

No.

Here's another. Since the war on drugs, has our country gotten less addicted to drugs?

[50PoundHead]

Since the inception of the Dept. of Education, how has the overall education in this country been affected? Would anyone say that are kids have gotten smarter?

Has our military become better and more efficient because of the Department of Defense?

I get your argument, but the duties performed by the Department of Education were previously performed by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare until the education portion was separated out when the Department of Education was created in 1979. Get rid of the Department of Education and the duties would simply go back from whence they came. Most of the Federal education efforts (IDEA, Title I, Headstart, Perkins Aid) were developed before the Department of Education was created.

There are a specific set of duties that the government has set out for itself. I think there's a valid debate that can be held on the scope of those activities, but Federal aid for education goes back almost a century now and where the duties are performed is, at least to me, a secondary argument.

[AerchAngel]

The best students in usa aren't affected by common core. The point is to help the mid and bottom tier learn critical thinking. A lot of kids today aren't learning anything just memorizing.

Put an iPad or an XBox in front them. I bet you they will learn that quickly. My kids have android devices but only used when the wife is at salon or dancing lessons or swimming lessons to keep them occupied. They are not allow to use them at home.

[50PoundHead]

Put an iPad or an XBox in front them. I bet you they will learn that quickly. My kids have android devices but only used when the wife is at salon or dancing lessons or swimming lessons to keep them occupied. They are not allow to use them at home.

The problem as I see it in education policy is that the policymakers tend to impress their experience upon the experience of others. In other words, "This is what worked for me and I'm successful, hence it should work for everyone else." That tends to put the "book learners" in charge at the expense of those students who learn better in applied environments. Tremendous arrogance and it is exhibited across the political spectrum. Education policy is a place where the idiocy is truly bipartisan in nature.

[sturg33]

Yikes (link)

[zitothebrave]

That article is why teachers should have free reign in teaching kids. A teach worth a damn will find a way of getting everyone to learn, rather than trying to teach every student a million ways of doing things. I got a C in some class in highschool math despite acing all the tests because I didn't show my work and that was 1/4 of the grade. Cause I was unable to write down what I was doing.

[50PoundHead]

Yikes (link)

I think there are a lot of reasons to question the Common Core, but I don't know if this is one of them. My kids were taught math in a similar fashion to the way outlined and that was before the Common Core was hatched. Our third graders match up well internationally, but our high schoolers don't. I think one of the things they are trying here is to introduce kids to number theory at an earlier age as opposed to just having them do times tables with the goal being stronger performance down the line. Maybe it works and maybe it doesn't. I'm not a math teacher.