Rethinking the Common Core

The Wall Street Journal published an article this past weekend on the many State’s who are cutting back or capping the testing time allowed in their schools.  The question is how do we measure our school’s progress if we don’t mandate some kind of testing.  This week I took an informal poll of public school parents in New York City.  Most of them understood the need for some state testing, and if fact, encouraged it so that they could continue to keep tabs on their school’s performance.  However, almost all of them said that the amount of testing and therefore, the classroom hours spent on test preparation, has taken over in their schools.  Teachers are uninspired, students are weary and parents are frustrated.

Given all the discussion on The Common Core Curriculum, I think it is time to review exactly what the Common Core is and what it is not.  Let’s start with this U.S. News  and World Report on the Common Core.  I will be coming back each week to explain the different areas of the common core.  Stay tuned.