While I have little patience for much of the fear-mongering tactics used by some critics of the Common Core, I do appreciate thoughtful criticism. A recent editorial in U.S. News & World Report (found at http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2014/03/17/how-common-core-standards-kill-creative-teaching) definitely falls under the latter, succinctly summarizing my point of view:
Understandably, proponents of the Common Core say they want greater depth of instruction and lessons that engage students. They say that the standards are only a guide. But reformers betray their cause by over-emphasizing tests and grading teachers with formulas and test scores demanded by both No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top.
To try to live up to the new demands and ensure better test scores, states, districts and schools have purchased resources, materials and scripted curricular modules solely developed for test success. Being lost is the practical wisdom and planned spontaneity necessary to work with 20 to 35 individuals in a classroom. Academic creativity has been drained from degraded and overworked experienced teachers. Uniformity has sucked the life out of teaching and learning.
To me, the operative verb in the above citation is betray, because I certainly feel betrayed. While I personally had no input into the Common Core standards for mathematics, I’ve attended presentations as they were developed over past 8 or 10 years. And the presentations that I heard have little resemblance to the way that mathematics is being assessed in schools right now.
One more thought: I live in a non-Common Core state (Texas), but the same pressure to “follow the book” exists here. So the “follow the book” mentality is not unique to the Common Core.
Mean Green Math 