Common Core

{{uspolitics}}
'''Common Core''' or '''Common Core State Standards Initiative''' is a [[US]] national set of goals and expectations regarding the K-12<ref group=note>In the US, "K" stands for Kindergarten (nominally five-year-old kids) and "12" refers to twelfth grade, or high school senior class, with students nominally seventeen years old.</ref> curriculum. States would decide how to meet those goals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CoreFacts.pdf |title=Myths v. Facts About the Common Core Standards}}</ref>

It has turned into a fear-mongering tool for the Right to attack the Left, even though the Left has very little to do with it. Of course, [[Jonanism|most of the things the right likes to blame the left for have little involvement with the actual left]]. Most opposition towards it comes from [[think tank]]s, charter schools, for-profit colleges/universities, and [[home schooling]] parents.

==Who is behind it?==
Short answer, an independent initiative and not the US Department of Education. The group is called ''Common Core State Standards Initiative'' which was developed by the ''National Governors Association Center for Best Practices'' (NGA) and the ''Council of Chief State School Officers'' (CCSSO).<ref>[http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/frequently-asked-questions/ CCSSI FAQ]</ref>

Louisiana Governor [[Bobby Jindal]] was in favor of Common Core but by 2015 had turned to opposing it.<ref name=cnn>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/10/politics/jeb-bush-2016-common-core/index.html|title=Jeb Bush isn't saying 'Common Core'|first=Eric |last=Bradner|work=CNN|date=February 11, 2015|accessdate=February 14, 2015}}</ref> [[Jeb Bush]] has been a long-term supporter of Common Core but is now avoiding using that phrase.<ref name=cnn/>

==Opposition==
{{Update section}}
[[Heritage Foundation]] hints that Obama is separating parents and children from their education.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DOCH1YT6Uk Common Core Standards Threaten Our Children's Schools] by The Heritage Foundation (January 31, 2011) YouTube.</ref>

[[Heartland Institute]] criticizes Common Core on a number of different points, mostly about what they call "erosion of state and local control".<ref>[https://www.heartland.org/publications-resources/publications/tip-sheet-common-core-standards Tip Sheet: Common Core Standards] by Joy Pullmann (June 11, 2013) heartland.org</ref>

Home School Legal Defense Association has dedicated a movie to the evils of Common Core called "Building the Machine". It's even got a [[Think of the children|sad kid]] on the cover for good measure.<ref>[https://store.hslda.org/building-the-machine-extended-dvd-setfull-common-core-documentary-p686.aspx Building the Machine Extended DVD Set—Full Common Core Documentary], Home School Legal Defense Association</ref>

[[Glenn Beck]], in his book ''Conform: Exposing the Truth About Common Core and Public Education''. As if the title doesn't have enough fallacy with the [[reductio ad absurdum]] of Common Core as "conformity", the book has a, erhm, pretty ''rotten'' core of [[not even wrong]] claims about Common Core such as: "Since most parents don't understand the Common Core techniques, students are becoming more dependent on their schools and teachers for their education, and less on help from their parents. This is like a dream come true for progressives who hope to continue to minimize the role of parents in the lives of their children."<ref>Media Matters, [http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/05/13/the-8-most-ridiculous-attacks-on-public-educati/199284 The 8 Most Ridiculous Attacks On Public Education In Glenn Beck's New Book].</ref>

At this time, [[Conservapedia]] is shifting to an anti-Common Core stance.<ref>[http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Common_Core&action=historysubmit&diff=1140249&oldid=1140236 Difference between revisions of "Common Core"]. [https://archive.today/PURMG ''img''].</ref>

==Subtraction==
Perhaps the one element of the proposed Common Core curriculum that has received the most negative attention is the manner in which it teaches certain arithmetic problems. Rather than just teaching the digit-by-digit subtraction algorithm, the Common Core also includes material on ''understanding'' the subtraction process and learning certain shortcuts.

This notion made the rounds as a "look at how ridiculous these standards are!", in much the same way the "New Math" did back in the 1960s. The example chosen by the standards' opponents is usually one designed to ''make'' the "new way" look ridiculous, such as "32 - 20"; other examples, like "3000 - 1", can instead make the "new way" look good.<ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/03/07/about-that-common-core-math-problem-making-the-rounds-on-facebook/ About That ‘Common Core’ Math Problem Making the Rounds on Facebook…], Patheos blogs, 7-March-2014</ref>

==External links==
*[http://www.corestandards.org/ Common Core main site]
*[http://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/downloads/publication/public_schools_in_the_crosshairs.pdf Public Schools in the Crosshairs: Far-Right Propaganda and the Common Core State Standards] Southern Poverty Law Center

==Notes==
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==References==
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[[Category:Education]]
[[Category:United States politics]]
[[Category:Mathematics-related stubs]]

Categories: Education, United States politics, Mathematics-related stubs