Common Core Debate

Thousands of elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the United States of America are dictated by a set of standards known as Common Core. The implication of these standards have been supported by national leaders such as Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and more. Bill Gates’ support of Common Core was noted through numerous interviews where he says comments similar to, “Fortunately, the state-led Common Core State Standards Initiative is developing clear, rigorous common standards that match the best in the world” (Beck). Gates support of Common Core is attributed to his selfish reasons such as expanding the international market for his company and the monetary value for his stocks (Beck). Although multiple leaders of the United States of

Common Core was pushed unto states through a grant for states that signed quickly; this grant which was made popular through President Obama, Democratic and some Republicans offered millions of dollars to states that changed policy to accept the standards. By accepting the standards (exactly as the standards were suggested), states were essentially agreeing to constant tests to analyze how teachers were preforming and the tests view which students need to have learning plans or special help. The tests such as the newly created PARCC test-an acronym for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers- is a multi-state standardized test that (unless a parent opts their child out of the test) requires students to test in language arts and math. These types of standardized tests take hours to complete and are centered on basic skills. The tests have received lots of negative views and in many states boycotts and protests have occurred, resulting in fewer truthful test scores (fairtest.org). These boycotts and protests include rallies like in Albany, New York, and preventing children from testing like in Scarsdale, New York (fairtest.org). Testing is a major aspect in most states where Common Core has been instituted, but has received lots of anti-testing situations from the “common”

Common Core’s standards are created with basic skills in mind, and according to David Scott Clegg “Students today…require a healthy balance of intellectual development -the acquisition of basic skills and knowledge…with the development of social-emotional intelligence” (Clegg). Common Core is not providing this “healthy balance” that Clegg discusses; Common Core is instead promoting a non-individual ideology which is against the first amendment of this nation. Under Common Core a student can be deemed “slow” from a failure of a standardized program, when in reality the child may be a gifted musician and is being told that they are not intelligent enough. This student will then have to give up their love of an activity in order to take special classes which may only worsen the student inability to test well, due to the lack of a creative outlet. Common Core also requires computer usage for many parts of the program. School that have already have received budget cuts are now suffering more in order to fulfill “what is best for the children.” This loss of a greater amount of money may result in further or even total cuts of art, music, and sports programs. This further degrades a child’s individuality, because the child is no longer able to explore non-academic areas. Common Core causes