The Common Core Debate Continues

Common Core was developed by a task force composed of commissioners of education, governors, corporate chief executive officers and recognized experts in higher education. It has been met with acceptance by various groups and derision by others.

Senator Rand Paul says Common Core contains anti-American history, but the only history requirement is an understanding of the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Lincoln’s second inaugural address.

In addition to Mr. Paul, opponents include The John Birch Society, a group best known for claiming that President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a communist agent, which describes the standards as a “fiendish” plot by “globalists” to turn American children into “green global serfs” who are “ready for the coming ‘green’ and ‘sustainable’ world order.” The ultraconservative Eagle Forum claims the “ultimate goal” of the Common Core is to set up “internment or re-education camps.” Glenn Beck calls Common Core “communism”. Alabama Tea Party activist Terry Bratton claimed that the Common Core will teach young children that “homosexuality is OK and should be experienced at an early age and that same-sex marriages are OK.” dailyrollcall.com calls Common Core a Muslim conspiracy to take over the US and spread sharia law here. Rick Santorum says, “We need less common core and more common sense.”

Sometimes lost in the media coverage is the fact that there are supporters of Common Core.  

The above companies and groups signed the following statement:

As companies and business organizations, we believe that it is imperative that ALL American students have access to an education that will prepare them for the opportunities and challenges they will face after high school. In a competitive world economy where education and/or training after high school is increasingly the norm for access to good jobs, to prepare students for anything less is, by definition, to deny opportunity. 

Unfortunately, today, too few high school students graduate and, among those who do, too few graduate well-prepared for life after high school. In order to prepare today’s students for the challenging world they will encounter, it is critical that we set the right expectations. For this reason, we believe states need to have K-12 standards that will prepare all students by the end of high school for success in college and careers. 

Currently, each state sets its own standards. This has led to a nation with 50 sets of inconsistent standards, even though the expectations of colleges and employers in math and English are nearly universal and are not bound by state lines. 

We believe that the Common Core State Standards Initiative, led by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers, has produced K-12 standards in the foundational subject s of math and English that meet the business community’s expectations: they are college- and career-ready, grounded in evidence and internationally benchmarked. We, the undersigned companies and organizations, support the adoption of the Common Core State Standards by the states. 

The Common Core State Standards are an important opportunity to set consistent, focused, rigorous expectations for all students; a necessary foundation for making the changes needed to improve student achievement and ensure the United States’ educational and economic preeminence.

The US Army supports Common Core:

U.S. Army Accessions Command Supports Common Core Standards Education Reform 

Effort Fort Monroe, VA — The United States Army Accessions Command (USAAC) commends the leadership of 48 states, the District of Columbia and two territories in committing to a process to adopt common high academic standards in mathematics and English language arts for our Nation’s public school students. The development of these common standards will not only benefit the thousands of military dependent students whose frequent moves are often at odds with local standards, but this reform will also allow a national debate on realigning state K-12 education policies and practices, a benefit to all. 

“Like the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children that provides common guidelines for states to follow in handling issues that impact children of military families as they transition between schools,” the rigor of the proposed academic Common Core Standards will be a benefit to military dependent students everywhere,” said USAAC Commanding General, Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley. “Moreover, I fully agree with Secretary of Education Duncan when he says there is no more important work than preparing our students to succeed in the global economy. Our national security as well as our national economy hinge upon education and our ability to adapt to global changes. National standards will raise the bar in education and, ultimately, serve our Nation by producing high school graduates fully prepared for higher education, the military, or the workforce.” 

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U.S. Army Accessions Command is responsible for enlisted and officer accessions into the United States Army and has executive oversight of the Military Entrance Processing Stations across the Nation. Accession standards are high and completion of high school education is critical to entering the United States Army, whether officer or enlisted. For more information, see www.goarmy.com. 

Supporters include:

• Achieve
• ACT, Inc.
• Alliance for Excellent Education
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
• American Council on Education
• American Statistical Association
• ASCD
• Bill Schmidt, University Distinguished Professor of statistics and education at Michigan State University
• Business Endorsement Letter
• The Business-Higher Education Forum
• The College Board
• Coalition for a College and Career Ready America (CCCRA)
• Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE)
• Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)
• Council of the Great City Schools
• Hunt Institute
• Joint statement by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM), the Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics (ASSM), and the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE)
• Military Child Education Coalition
• National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)
• National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE)
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)
• National Education Association (NEA)
• National Higher Education Organizations
• National Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
• National School Boards Association (NSBA)
• Partnership for 21st Century Skills
• Presentation by Dr. Hung-Hsi Wu
• State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO)

Lots of information and misinformation is circulating on the interwebs about Common Core standards. Rather than accept what one reads on the interwebs, one should do what Bill Bennett, former Secretary of Education recommends. "Download the standards themselves. The common core standards. That's what they did in Idaho, that's what they did in Utah and they said to the citizens, do you have any objection to any of this? Not what someone said the standards were. Not what Google reported. Not what some citizens group decided was common core, but the actual standards themselves. They are public. And anybody can examine those standards."

That sounds like good advice, and it comes from a conservative.

It is quite possible that standards might need some tweeking, that deadlines might need to be extended, and that some changes in teaching methods might need to be implemented. But, it is vital that our youth be prepared for a scientific world. Other nations are leaving the USA in the dust educationally-speaking. It is only a matter of time until this situation leads to economic dominance of other nations over the USA.

Read more here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here.