Close to two-thirds of the American public doesn’t know what Common Core is, according to a recent poll. The Obama administration has been pushing the education initiative that seeks to achieve a core curriculum in the nation’s schools, despite strong resistance from several states.
The poll found that 62 percent of respondents had never heard of Common Core, and even among parents with children in public schools K-12, only 45 percent of parents had heard of it.
Students in kindergarten through third grade throughout the Hazleton Area School District participated in a four-day Kids University program held this past week at the Ninth Grade Center in Hazle Township near Hazleton, PA. During the event, students read aloud books written by Gail Gibbons while working together to complete projects, learn creative writing techniques and participate in hands-on learning stations sparking imagination and creativity while targeting the Common Core Academic Standards. Credit: AP
The survey by Phi Delta Kappa International and Gallup also found that 22 percent believed testing helped the performance of their local school, down from 28 percent in 2007, another 36 percent believe testing was hurting school performance, and 58 percent oppose using standardized tests.
The administration considers Common Core to be voluntary standards states can adopt on English and math standards geared toward making high school graduates college-or-career-ready.
Grayslake, Ill., Community Consolidated School District 46 curriculum coordinator Amanda August recently said on video, “But even under the new Common Core if even if they said 3 x 4 was 11, if they were able to explain their reasoning and explain how they came up with their answer, really in words and oral explanations and they showed it in a picture but they just got the final number wrong? We’re more focusing on the how and the why.”
Historian and author David Barton says Common Core represents a key problem with progressivism. “It doesn’t matter how well something is already working, or how long it’s been working well — they’re always wanting change,” he said.
“You’ve heard about it, and over the coming months it’ll be in the news even more as new parts of it continue to unfold,” Barton added. “Common Core is something that is not going away, even though it sure needs to…”
(H/T: StateLine)
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