Common Core is Commonly Complicated

By Laura Ford

There is absolutely nothing common about Common Core.  I know it is the government's idea that any child who moves from place to place will always be up to speed and on the same page as where he was previously, but it doesn't work. It has only created more confusion and our students are becoming less knowledgeable than the generations before when it comes to math, science, reading, and history.
Up until the mid 70s, it seemed that the United States accelerated in all of these areas, but as the new forms of math set in, and the government's need to step into the classroom grew, ratings seemed to regress. As an English instructor at a local college, I see more and more students coming into my classroom who cannot read or write, and when it comes to history, don't ask them to identify Henry Ford.
When they read, they cannot digest what they have just read, and they have no critical thought process because in many of our schools they are taught to the test, rather than being taught how to think, retain what they have learned, and successfully take the test. No Child Left Behind has now left more children behind than any other law combined, in my opinion. Rather than lowering the standards of children who are achieving, why not strive to improve the knowledge and standards of those who are below. Push those children to achieve excellence.
I have college students who cannot write a complete sentence. Verbs, nouns, conjugation, and participles all should have been taught in grade school then reviewed in high school. These students cannot write a simple essay because they lack the knowledge of  how to write a simple paragraph.
Don't get me started on history. In my classroom I was discussing the determination and positive attitude of  Henry Ford when I noticed that "deer in headlight" look. I asked how many knew who Henry Ford was, no hands were raised. I asked if they knew who Calvin Coolidge was, again, no hands were raised. These kids have no idea of the important aspects of history because it is no longer important. I have had students, especially from more inner city schools, who say, "Ms. Ford, we didn't learn this where I went to school. We graduated on conduct."
This statement tells me that these schools were more concerned with test scores in order to receive the funding, rather than making sure the child behaved and learned. Both learning and discipline go hand in hand. We see more and more schools whose teachers and administrators are fudging test scores in order to meet the standards for funding, and they are being prosecuted for it.
As if No Child Left Behind wasn't bad enough, now we are settling in with Common Core, another  way to shove the teacher out of the classroom and push "Big Brother" into it. Every time some psychologist sits down with a politician, bedlam is what occurs and our children are the ones who suffer for it. The destruction of a decent America started during the 60s with Dr. Spock who said telling a child "no" inhibited his desire to explore and learn. Parents at they time should have "tarred and feathered the author, along with his book, and sent him down the tracks on the rail," because it has done nothing but left a trail of destruction for generations.
No they are pushing Common Core down the teachers throats, the children's throats, and the parents throats, leaving nothing behind but a trail of tears, frustration, and ignorance. The children are not learning anything because of the frustration, and parents can't help because they don't understand the new standard, even though they know the correct answers, 2 +2 now equals 5 according to Common Core standards. Yep, sounds like some of the government's fuzzy math, and look how well it works for them.