If Common Core stands for educational quality then why is opposition mounting?

Common Core is the next rung on the ladder to federal control of education.  Preceded by No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top, Common Core coerces implementation by the states with the carrot of federal funds.  As part of the 2009 stimulus package, funds were given to state governments that agreed to adopt federal standards as well as create or enhance student tracking. At that point the standards were not yet developed so states were agreeing to something they had not seen. 

Right now, these standards are being applied to Mathematics and English.  Standards for Science, Social Studies, History and other courses of study will be rolled out as well.  Proponents use catch phrases like ‘raising the bar’ and ‘excellence in education’.  Critics say, not so.  The English curriculum has come under considerable scrutiny for overemphasizing technical documents at the expense of the classics.  Under the new standards at least 50% of reading assignments must involve informational texts; examples of these texts include government documents and technical manuals.  The argument against giving such weight to these dry documents is that they do not promote critical thinking in the way the analysis of true literature does. Side note:  in colonial America the literacy rate was 95%, attributed to the fact that families gathered together and read the bible. 

Equal concern exists around the Math standards.  Experts comment that the standards are low and as non-challenging as possible.  As an example, compliance will mean postponing the Algebra 1 requirement in a number of states.  There has also been commentary that there are no wrong answers.  If a student can make the argument for his answer it can be deemed correct.  (And we wonder how kids go through 12 years of school and graduate with little subject matter knowledge?)

While the case could be made for national standards (not national control) as a way to raise the bar on the lower performing districts I would expect that the government would not insinuate that the better performing districts lower the bar in order to comply.  In some states, adoption will mean lowering existing standards. One educator describes Common Core as ‘data driven and conformity seeking’.  Another says the curriculum tells students what to think rather than how to think.  Organizations such as the Cato Institute, Eagle Forum and the Heritage Foundation are finding flaws with the scheme as well.

As if the questionable standards are not troublesome enough, the student-tracking element is raising eyebrows.  Arne Duncan, Education Secretary refers to a ‘cradle-to-career education agenda’ that ‘can only be achieved by creating a strong cradle-to-career continuum that starts with early childhood learning and extends to college and careers.’  In fact, the Department of Education is working to build a federal, personally identifiable student database, a move that does not comply with existing student privacy laws.  In addition to collecting things like religion and the political affiliation of parents, a host of electronic monitoring devices will be put into play.  There is the facial expression camera, the posture analysis seat, the pressure mouse and, my personal favorite, the wireless skin conductance sensor.  The sensor measures blood volume, pulse and galvanic skin response to examine student ‘frustration’.  One education department report refers to a data repository ‘that stores time-stamped student input and behaviors captured as students work within the system…  A predictive model combines demographic data…and learning/behavior data from the student learning database to track a student’s progress and make predictions about his or her future behaviors or performance.’  And activities are taking place absent parental consent. In Florida, students’ irises were scanned for tracking purposes without first seeking parental approval. 

Across the country states have begun to contemplate opting out or are hitting the ‘pause’ button in order to fully understand what Common Core really is and what the long term-implications are. Grass roots movements are in motion as well.  In Connecticut we have a Face Book page called ‘Stop Common Core in Connecticut’.  A key contributor of information is Jessica Sawyer Chiong of West Haven. Jessica is committed to quality education with control being retained at the state and local levels; Jessica is also running for Board of Ed in West Haven. The FB page is a great place to start for more information and potential activism.  My own investigation leaves me with a comment and a question:  Common Core resembles programming for a desired outcome more than it does re-establishing high educational standards across the United States.  If these alleged mediocre standards really are the goal, why are our leaders so willing to facilitate the continuing decline of the United States when measured on the international scale of educational excellence?