Concerned about Common Core Standards

Have you heard about the Common Core State Standards that are coming to our local schools? Most parents are not aware of them, yet they are being implemented in the Glendale Unified School District schools. The GUSD has been implementing it behind the scenes since 2010. Currently the Common Core is being implemented in English language, arts and math. Science and social studies are on their way.

The Common Core State Standards were adopted by the California Department of Education. This is a national, one-size-fits-all educational program to insure that all states have the same “common standards.”

The Common Core standards are copyrighted by the National Governor’s Association and must be taught word-for-word with no changes. The replacement of teacher ingenuity and creativity with scripted lessons to which they are only allowed to add 15% of more information provides a window into the complicated connection between the standards themselves and the curricula, which must be tailored to them. In addition, the magical 15% that is supposed to give the teachers some leeway becomes irrelevant, as it will not be included in the Common Core aligned assessment tests.

Classical literature will be become limited and replaced with “informational texts” (i.e., Environmental Protection Agency reports, federal executive resolutions, etc.). Sample tests can be viewed for grades 3-8 and 11 at www.smarterbalanced.org/pilot-test/. These are the tests California has adopted.

This is a huge program that parents and taxpayers should know about as local control of the program has been eliminated. It also affects private schools as well as home schools. You can learn more about what is coming to our local schools at www.concernedparentsofthefoothills.com.

Marti Marshall
La Crescenta