The Common Core makes for strange allies. On the “for” side, there is the Obama Administration, teachers’ unions, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. On the “against” side is the Tea Party, some prominent Republican members of Congress, as well as the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida. So how can this be? Below is a breakdown of arguments for and against the Common Core along party lines.
The Conservative Argument FOR the Common Core:
- The standards are internationally benchmarked, meaning that if American students master them, our workforce will be internationally competitive. This is important for economic reasons.
- The standards are rigorous. To date, American states have, for the most part, set standards that are easily achievable by many students.
- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable and CEOs of many top American companies support the Common Core.
The Conservative Argument AGAINST the Common Core
- Obama and the teachers unions support the Common Core.
- The U.S. Department of Education has promoted the Common Core through a requirement of College- and Career-Ready Standards in grant competitions and NCLB flexibility waivers. Some conservatives view this support as a mandate and have made the claim that the Common Core is a national curriculum. (The fact is that it has been and will continue to be a state-led initiative and has never been a curriculum at all. As an example, no specific texts are required to be taught. Not The Bluest Eye, or any other text. Texts are provided as exemplars of the level of rigor that is required at each grade level.)
- A small group of conservatives claim that the Common Core standards are not rigorous enough.
The Liberal Argument FOR the Common Core
- In the past, students in some states have received a vastly different (more rigorous) education than students in some other states. With the Common Core, we know with certainty that all students in Common Core states will be held to a rigorous standard that will prepare them for college and success in the workforce.
- Obama and the teachers unions support the Common Core.
- Common standards across states will allow cross-state sharing of curricular materials, assessment materials, etc.
The Liberal Argument AGAINST the Common Core
- The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable and CEOs of many top American companies support the Common Core. That must mean that they expect to make money from the initiative.
- The purpose of schooling is not to increase competitiveness or prepare students for the workforce. It is about building character, developing creativity, and helping students develop a strong personal identity and civic mindedness. The Common Core is too focused on academics to the exclusion of other important elements of schooling.
- The Common Core is too rigorous and will set up economically disadvantaged students for failure.
For more information, please check out some of our previous, related posts:
https://www.coreeducationllc.com/blog2/conservative-support-for-common-core/
https://www.coreeducationllc.com/blog2/aft-weighs-in-on-common-core/
https://www.coreeducationllc.com/blog2/threats-to-the-common-core/
