Confession Tuesday: Common Core Concerns

It’s been far too long since my last educational confession. I can’t remember the last time I confessed. And I confess that I’m feeling too lazy to look it up. If you’re new to our blog, Confession Tuesday is a semi-regular post where I confess my deepest concerns about teaching and learning. Feel free to join in by leaving your own confession in the comments!

I confess that I harbor some concerns about the Common Core State Standards. First off, I’m concerned that there are states, like my own, who haven’t done enough yet to prepare teachers. A small amount of Google searching is all it takes to reveal that there are some state departments of education (I’m talking to you, North Carolina, Oregon, and several others) that have TONS of Common Core resources available on their websites. It’s clear that there are a lot of states that have grabbed the proverbial bull by the horns and that are way ahead of the game.

Of course, there are others that haven’t. I confess I’m worried that a divide is already being created in an area that is supposed to make education more equitable and standardized for every child in the country. I fear that this is especially true for students in typically underserved areas such as rural and urban schools. Are the Common Core Standards going to widen the already expansive learning gap between affluent and poor schools? I think this is a discussion worth having.

I also confess that I’m concerned about schools not taking advantage of one of the greatest things about the Common Core Standards…that they clearly define what to teach, not how to teach it. In fact, if you read closely, it’s apparent that they were created as a way of helping transform the way we deliver content in the classroom. I think the standards open doors for teachers to create more meaningful and enriching ways to engage students. Is this going to happen? Or are we going to be too concerned about the new national tests? (I confess it seems we know far too little about these tests at this point, too.) Will those of us in states and districts and schools that are lagging behind and that are yet to implement any transition to the Core at all yet get so wrapped up in this transition that we “forget” (or aren’t given the time necessary) to be engaging and creative and empowered?

I confess that I believe that national standards and engaging teaching and learning CAN go hand in hand. I think you definitely can have both. It’s not easy, but it’s definitely possible. If you’re a teacher in a place that you feel is lagging behind, I want to help. That’s why I’m going to be blogging a lot more about the Core in coming months. And soon Engaging Educators is going to have a page on our website about how we can help your school or district make sure that 21st century learning finally comes about as you transition to the Core. So stay tuned for that (or contact us in the meantime to get the ball rolling).

How’s the Core going where you teach? Leave your confessions in the comments section. We’d love to hear from you. And if you want to follow along with all our Common Core-related posts (and all our other posts, too), please subscribe to our blog and follow us on twitter.