The Common Core

[TheMatrix]

Greetings!

Those of us in the states have no doubt heard about the coming of the common core.

Supposedly, education will soon be slightly more standard across the US. Currently every state, every school district, and many times even different schools within the same district have wildly differing curriculums, graduation requirements, and performance levels.

I ask of you the following:
How has Common Core affected your state, district, and/or school?

I will post my thoughts when some of you have replied.

Please, share your experience and/or conjecture. Will Common Core be any good at all? Or will it merely make things even worse than they already are?

EDIT: I found this (http://www.virtualteen.org/forums/showthread.php?t=207837) on RoTW by accident right after posting. See that too for some good discussion.

[TheN3rdyOutcast]

I think Common Core will help. This way, all of the students across the country will be learning the same thing. So if a student moves to another state, they won't miss anything.

[Microcosm]

I think it will make education better, but in a different way than I would have hoped. Kids are taught too often to believe in a streamlined system of education. Personally, I think we can do better than that. Anyways, I guess I'll just have to deal with it.

This video changed my views on education. It was shared in ROTW just a bit back. I recommend you check it out: http://youtu.be/zDZFcDGpL4U

[TheMatrix]

In California's San Jose Unified, the latter case in my 3rd paragraph of my previous post is especially true. The high school I attend, in a well-to-do neighbourhood where almost everyone's parents work in something tech-related(you have to -- living here isn't cheap!), has boasted high CST scores* every single year since 1999 AFAIK. We're "blue-ribbon" and all that.
But look to the next-closest high school, and the percentages in "below basic" and "far below basic" begin to increase. Look one school further and the numbers there nearly triple. All in the same district.
Differing graduation requirements, though. Probably different courses that are advised, as well. Otherwise, the ability to teach** is probably lower there.

Now when I look at or hear from people in different states or even cities, I am always baffled that they don't consider (for example) AP tests an important part of their life. I've lived and grown up in an environment where getting a 5, a 2400, or whatever magical number was one's future. These other people are equally amazed that we care so much.

The common core seeks to make the divide in education smaller. Unfortunately, I feel that at times it does this by dumbing down the material.
This comes at the expense of those who are smarter and want to challenge themselves. This doesn't lie in the test per se, but in what might happen.
Here's some interesting conjecture: as Common Core becomes common, advanced classes will vanish -- "you don't need that class to fulfil your education", "others don't have that class so we can't either".
The common core, you see, only prepares for a 2-year university. But many aspire to something more prestigious (in the minds of many here, only failures and screw-ups would entertain the idea of a community college or something like that. no, they want Stanford and Berkeley and ...). It's hard enough to stand out to colleges nowadays: dumbing down what you learn at school doesn't help.

Of course, there will hopefully be great benefits for schools in terrible places where nobody goes anywhere in life -- hopefully they too will now have a chance at something good in life.



* Now with common core, the CST is being replaced with another kind of test.
** This school is in the ghetto. As such, there is much crime(a significant number of people have had run-ins with the law), live in a bad situation at home, are stoned, or any combination of the three. This distracts themselves and students, rendering them unable to participate in education.


This video changed my views on education. It was shared in ROTW just a bit back. I recommend you check it out: http://youtu.be/zDZFcDGpL4U
While I agree with many of the points, I don't like how it's doesn't focus on or even mention the people that don't try in school. The assumption is that everyone wants to learn, which is simply not the case. These people are the ones who think "I should have tried harder" and begin to say "I am entitled to welfare money [and can be a lazy bum]".
In addition, some are not able to learn or are not given the chance. No system of education -- traditional or new -- will fix this.

[nascar_alex]

It's made school a lot harder and a lot of stuff we haven't learned but they expected us to have already

[Melodic]

Honestly, it may help school systems and maybe improve teaching. It doesn't affect me much as I'm homeschooled.