If the teacher designed curriculum is aligned to any state's performance standards, the kids will receive the content that has been determined to be essential. What many teachers in New Mexico are discovering is that they are already meeting the standards with their classroom curriculum. The change comes in how and what they evaluate. No, in fact, the doctors who do not follow nationally accepted or recommended practices are considered have committed malpractice. I am certainly glad that there are set standards for pilots' performance.
Standards are here to stay.
This is the way I see it. As a teacher I can choose to design my lessons to meet the national standards and the state standards and our district's core curriculum, which by the way are not mutally aligned . Then if a parent questions what or how I am approaching a topic, I can whip out all three and discuss my justification using the standards as expert support. Or I can continue to rock along, and do the textbook-designed traditional curriculum. Standards-based curriculum does not preclude any style, strategy or methodology.