In 2009, President Barack Obama’s “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” was passed and did not really do anything. In fact, it didn’t even live up to its own expectations of job creation and fiscal stabilization. Although it didn’t influence the economy in a helpful way, it did set the foundation for something that has floated under the radar for the last few years. That little gem is called Common Core.
Common Core is a system that sets new, federal standards for schools nationwide from kindergarten to grade 12. Common Core is a top-down system — though proponents like to argue otherwise — that was funded via stimulus money.
Since 2011, Idaho –like 44 other states — has been implementing Common Core. In the 2013-2014 school year, Idaho will completely implement it.
One of the many outstanding problems with this program is that it lowers academic standards, contrary to what proponents of the system would have you believe.
Common Core claims to raise standards to internationally benchmarked levels, yet there is no proof of this.
The Pioneer Institute, a non-partisan, privately funded research organization has done extensive research on Common Core and has been fighting against it since 2009. According to a May 2012 publication by the Pioneer Institute, “More objective analysts have concluded that in both English language arts and mathematics, the Common Core Standards are deficient.”
Educators and analysts across America have also come out against this program after having studied its content.
“Common Core’s standards not only present a serious threat to state and local education authority, but also put academic quality at risk. Pushing fatally flawed education standards into America’s schools is not the way to improve education for America’s students,” professor of education reform at the University of Arkansas Sandra Stotsky said,
According to Stotsky and the Pioneer Institute, Common Core will reduce literary study as it prioritizes informational and nonfictional texts as opposed to classic and complex literature. In fact, informational and non-fictional texts would become one of the largest portions of English classes from elementary to high school.
“A diminished emphasis on literature in the secondary grades makes it unlikely that American students will study a meaningful range of culturally and historically significant literary works before graduation,” Stotsky said, “It also prevents students from acquiring a rich understanding and use of the English language. Perhaps of greatest concern, it may lead to a decreased capacity for analytical thinking.”
Additionally, mathematics professor, R. James Milgram of Stanford University, refused to accept the math standards because he believes they will set American students two years behind high-achieving countries. Citing a specific problem, Milgram made note that high school students would not reach calculus before graduation — bringing into question the preparedness of such students for college-level courses.
Common Core is bad news for everyone, but especially for young children. It will bring American education to an all-new low — an achievement in and of itself.
Common Core is nothing new to America’s ever-liberalized education system, but it is exposed and still vulnerable. Don’t accept these terrible standards. Fight back so that Washington D.C. does not gain control of your children’s minds and education. Do not let Idaho’s school system wash down the drain with the rest of the country.
Andrew Jenson can be reached at [email protected]