If I read it right, a group of concerned parents formed an advocacy group that wanted to put a "pause" on the implementation of the Common Core, so that the public, educators, and politicians can discuss it more fully. The bill for the "pause" was passed, but now some politicians are saying that the language is too vague to actually warrant a "pause."
One of the statements which upset me is: “We had some pretty strong forces against us, some corporate interests against us, who quite frankly were disrespectful of my constituents,” Schneider told StateImpact.
Please go to http://stateimpact.npr.org/indiana/2013/04/27/complex-common-core-pause-bill-passes-indiana-general-assembly/ to read the entire article. Do not take my word for things, but read for yourself. You may have another take on the issue. I encourage everyone to educate themselves and make his or her own decisions on the topic.
A Related Article:
Are the Common Core standards creating the exemplar learning opportunities that they were meant to create? Read the article to see what it's author has to say. One effect that the article does not mention that is something I foresee is a higher dropout rate.
The Common Core seems to be a "one-size fits all" standard that pushes students above their current level of understanding too quickly. It also dictates how students will learn as if there is only ONE CORRECT WAY to learn. Those two things taken together will lead to a wide spread of discouragement and then to a higher drop out rate.
I have heard parents tell me more than once that "my child knows how to do the work, but gets a horrible grade because he doesn't do it the way they are saying to do it." While sometimes it is good to be able to address problems in more than one way, it is not good when grades, self-esteem, and self-confidence are effected.
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