Why I Like Common Core Standards

There's a lot of debate about the Common Core Standards, yet the more I work with those standards, the more I like them from my view point at an intermediate elementary school level. I have not studied the standards in depth at other levels.

Why I like the standards?

• First, I like the fact that the standards create a framework of essential worthy skill, concept, and knowledge. If students master the standards set forth, they will be well situated for deeper thinking, effective effort, and lifelong learning.
• Next, I like the fact that the standards are shared. Rather than relying on the expertise of educators in one school or system, we get to share in the expertise of schools and systems throughout the country. This share provides rich debate, creativity, and endeavor. This debate, in some ways, also takes the teaching and learning away from the politics, context, and relationships within one school system.
• Also, on the other hand, I like the fact that as a framework, these standards can be embedded into learning experiences that do relate to local context, problems, and interests--we can design learning so that it meets the Common Core and also relates to students' and the community's needs and interests in meaningful ways.
• In addition, at my level, I feel the standards are mostly well written and represent deep learning.
• Further, the standards lead to terrific debate, discussion, and learning design as we look deeply at what each standard is calling us to teach and explore with students.

Are the standards perfect, no!  No manmade list of learning standards is going to be perfect, but they do create a deep, meaningful framework to embed into worthy learning design so that we can teach all children well.

And, with regard to the standards-based tests, I still remain a fan of streamlined assessment. Assessment that's cost and time is relative to its effect. In some cases, the testing costs and time are far greater than the effect. This is an area that has to be explored more as we want testing to lead to better learning and teaching, not greater stress, inequity, platitudes, and less money for meaningful, student-centered, forward reaching endeavor.

I think it's a waste of time to throw out the Common Core at least at my level after all the money and work that's been put into it. It's great to have a common, national framework. The key now is to use that framework to teach children well with depth and care in every context. This probably means that the framework will take on various shapes in various places, but still maintain high expectations for student learning throughout the country.

I'm open to debate in this regard. I'm listening to all sides of the story.