A movement has begun to sweep the country in almost every state as opponents to the recently enacted Common Core program feel the federal government has too much of a hand in local education matters.
A local group will present information on Common Core Monday night at 6 p.m. at the convention center.
While a certain amount of uniformity is needed from state to state when students move, opponents are mounting a challenge to what is being taught and how.
For those who don’t know, Common Core was designed to replace the No Child Left Behind program, which was passed in the early 2000s and was intended to measure each school district’s and each state’s scores and improvements
The Common Core is a set of academic standards in mathematics and English language arts and outline what a student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade. According to the Common Core website, “the standards were created to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life, regardless of where they live.”
Initially 44 states adopted the standards, but lately, groups in many states are questioning the scope of Common Core and feel that the program is not raising standards but rather it is diminishing the quality of instruction. Furthermore, opponents also feel big business has too much of a hand in developing the standards, and states have relinquished their rights to establish goals and what is taught in the curriculum.
Just recently in the news, a parent grew exasperated with the method in which her child was figuring out math problems. Another questioned the choice of literature, while another parent was aghast that a certain passage provided erroneous information on the Second Amendment. According to a workbook handed out to seventh-grade students at Grant Middle School in Springfield, Ill., the Second Amendment only allows people to own “certain” guns if they have been registered.
Recently, Indiana, as far as we know, has become the first state to rescind Common Core and search for something else to provide a better education for Hoosier students.
“I believe when we reach the end of this process there are going to be many other states around the country that will take a hard look at the way Indiana has taken a step back, designed our own standards and done it in a way where we drew on educators, we drew on citizens, we drew on parents and developed standards that meet the needs of our people,” said Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
In Nevada, though, both Gov. Brian Sandoval and Public Instruction Superintendent Dale Erquiaga have endorsed Common Core, as has Churchill County Superintendent Sandra Sheldon.
For those who are interested in knowing more, this meeting on Monday should be informative and thought-provoking.
Editorials written by the LVN Editorial Board appear on Wednesdays.