A Common Core Education by Roger Harris

[Tim Lintz]

There is a lot of people and legislators that are encouraging us parents to agree to our State continuing with the Common Core Curriculum.  Their basis for this appears to be “Independent Standards” that all of our schools and teachers can be compared to, and the need to give our youth the best education possible.   I think most parents and citizens want high educational standards to be set for our schools.  What I don’t think we want is to give our Federal Government the control over all of our schools  educational Curriculum.  Do we really want a “One size fits all” education system that is controlled by a quasi-federal government group, that is not elected, doesn’t report to any parents anywhere, and has their own special interests that they are promoting.  I don’t think so!  The control of our schools needs to stay a local and state effort. 

I have heard the argument that the Common Core Standards do not determine Curriculum, but can that really be plausible?  If someone sets the Standards that you will be tested to, won’t you build your curriculum around those standards?  And in fact, advocates for Common Core are already using the argument that to change from the Common Core will cost significant money because of the Curriculum based books and material already purchased.  Common Core Standards do drive the Curriculum. 

I have also heard the argument that the Federal Government doesn’t really develop the Standards.  But the organization that does set the Standards is funded for over 50% of it’s expenses by the Federal Government.  I think most of us have heard that old saying,  “The Golden Rule.  He with the gold makes the rules”.  To think that the Federal Government would provide over half of the money and not have any control on the outcome is fairly naïve.  Every despotic government in the world has insisted on controlling the education of the youth.  North Korea, Iran, Nazi Germany, China, Stalin’s Russia.  Do we really want to have our Federal Government controlling what is taught to 100% of our youth?

No, we really need local control over the education of our youth.  It is not an easy task, but we have thousands of professionals that are working to improve our educational techniques and systems every day.   They are scattered across our country, but with open communication and ongoing implementation and testing of their ideas the best can be discovered.   It is the best sort of example of a “bottom up” approach to proven improvement ,  rather than a “Top down” directive, that may or may not be correct.

Let’s say NO to a Federal Government driven, one size fits all, education system.  Say no to Common Core.  Please call our State Senators and Representatives and voice your opposition to Common Core. 

[Jim Stone]

Mr. Lintz,

The fact that you use the singular "is" when referring to plural people and legislators, as opposed to the plural "are," which would be the grammatically correct way to word your sentence, is exactly the problem with local control of the education system.  Some schools are getting important things taught to them, such as grammer, and some schools are not.  That is what the common core is designed to address.  But, as it is currently designed, the common core is flawed.  You touch upon this in that we do have a one size fits all education system.  The problem isn't what you think though.  The true problem is that as a nation, our educational expectations of our children is too low.  We set the core curriculum standards far too low, as such, we are not teaching our children to reach their true potential.  At this point on a global scale, our students know less about American History, than most of the kids in Europe and the Middle East.  This is because those countries have a core curriculum, and high expectations of their children.  We don't.  

I don't see us spiralling down the path of facism here, just because the Federal Government has instituted a core curriculum for the states to follow.  There is nothing unreasonable about the feds saying we want every child to know reading, writing, and arithmetic.  That's pretty much what every kid needs to be successful.  So long as the schools retain the ability to openly teach all the subjects, I see no real issue.  If the feds start dictating that teachers will only teach certain parts of history, or certain scientific theories over others, then I think we have a problem.  But, right now, the common core is the best idea out there to correct a big problem.

What I note about most of you Tea Party folks, is that you're very good at criticizing ideas.  But very few of you are able to circulate better, or even just alternate ideas.  When you can do that, maybe you'll start having credibility.