Governor Markell Discredits Common Core Misconceptions
Delaware Governor Jack Markell, who co-chaired the Common Core Standards Initiative, explains in the Washington Post op-ed, how “The Tea Party is Wrong on the Common Core Curriculum.” He addresses the critics’ misconception that the standards were developed by the federal government.
“This assertion lacks any basis in fact. The Common Core was developed during a year-long process by state leaders — Democrats and Republicans — along with highly respected members of the business community and people in education, including many teachers.”
Read More →Implementation of the Common Core Standards: Progress Report from the Great City Schools
By Michael Casserly, Executive Director, Council of the Great City Schools
The Council of the Great City Schools was a strong supporter of the concept of Common Core State Standards even before the current benchmarks were developed. And since their development, the coalition of the nation’s largest urban public school districts has devoted considerable energy to implementing the new guidelines in its member districts.
Nonetheless, implementation is uneven in many city school systems, due partly to varying approaches to putting these new standards into place, partly to differing capacities, and partly to inconsistent support from states. It appears, however, that most city school systems are farther along than most other school districts in their respective states.
Read More →Why We All Need to be “Core Advocates”
By Ashley Hebda, Indianapolis, IN, High School English Teacher
I have always believed that closing the achievement gap in American schools would bring our country closer to the ideal of “liberty and justice for all” than it has ever come before. Within my first three years of teaching, however, I have realized that our current approach to education really isn’t getting us very close to accomplishing this goal.
Read More →Join the Distinguished ‘Corps’ of Advocates Supporting the Common Core!
By Caroline McCullen, Director of Education Initiatives at SAS Institute
Some things are just common sense, and having common academic standards for all states is one of those things. In a national milestone event, 45 states and the District of Columbia recently coalesced around a common set of standards for math and English/language arts. The process did not happen overnight, and there were many detours and roadblocks along the way. Nevertheless, this year states began to implement the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and classrooms are beginning to change for the better.
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