Is Common Better?

I have been reading about the Common Core State Standards Initiative  this week.  What exactly is a Common Core Standard?  Well, it is the effort being led by states to have a single set of educational standards across the United States.  The standards apply to students in Kindergarten through 12^th Grade and currently pertain to Math and English Language Arts.  Previously every state has had its own set of unique standards for K-12 education.  Currently 45 states and Washington D.C. have adopted these standards.  The remaining five are Alaska, Minnesota, Nebraska, Virginia and Texas (at the time of this post).   

The basic premise behind having a common set of standards for the whole country is that it will provide consistency in education that will better prepare students for success in their future.  This will in turn contribute to the success of our nation’s future.  This sounds like a really good plan when you first look at it.  However, I have to wonder if making education common is really making it better.

A Few Questions I Am Pondering…

• What about the cost?  Implementing new educational standards in Math and Language Arts makes old curriculum obsolete.  This means that every school will have to purchase new curriculum.  With the lack of funding to some schools, this is not an easy undertaking.
• What if the new standards are more rigorous for some states than their old ones?  Students may be starting out behind with the implementation of new standards.  Catching up may be very difficult and confusing.  Causing education to be frustrating for them and not a good experience.
• What if the new standards are less rigorous for some states than their old ones?  Students may find themselves bored and less engaged with learning.
• What effect will this transition have on teachers?  Teaching is a very demanding and high-stress profession.  They will have to be the ones to deal with re-vamping their lesson plans, aligning to new standards and finding and incorporating ways to teach the new standards effectively.  This sounds like a daunting task in a field that already has high rates of burn-out.
• Who is really in control?  The responsibility of education has been a duty of the state.  The Common Core State Standards initiative is said to be led by the states.  However, with the push and incentives offered by federal government to sign up for the initiative, it makes me wonder how much control the states will retain once this goes into effect.

Here is some information that was helpful to me in looking at the pros and cons of Common Core…

Pros And Cons Of The Common Core Standards
Prezi - Pros and Cons of Common Core
Common Core - Arguments for and Against

 

Does Common = Ordinary?

So, does making it common make it better?  I don’t have an answer to that question!  However, I can say that the word common does not conjure up images of individuality and diversity that we have worked so hard to cultivate in America.  To me, the first thing I think about when I hear the word “common” is ordinary.  As a teacher, I am hoping that the education the students receive in my classroom is as individual as they are and encourages them to go beyond the ordinary to reach their full potential as individuals.  This is my goal, no matter what the standards.