Prompt #7: Pros and Cons of the Common Core

The Common Core was launched in 2009 and it is a set of standards for grades K-12 for mathematics and language arts.  These are learning goals that outline the things a student should know at each grade level.  The goal of the Common Core is to help students to develop all the skills they will need to be successful if college, in their career, and life in general.  These standards are also put into place to help for all of the states to be consistent with the rubrics from school to school.  Many people are for the Common Core while many are also against this set of education standards.  Lawmakers, taxpayers, educators, and parents are all effected by these new guidelines, so in order to learn more and take a stance on the issue here are the pros and cons for the Common Core.

PROS

1. These standards compare to the standards of other countries.  The United States have dropped down in educational rankings over the past few decades, our ranking should now begin to improve.
2. States can now accurately compare test scores to those of other states, now that the assessments are similar throughout the states.
3. Students will be better prepared for higher education and for their careers, the main goal is to make all students successful in their lives.
4. With the Common Core students progress throughout a school year can be monitored more accurately and more closely now.
5. Teachers can communicate better now and come up with the most effective practices being that all schools are teaching the same curriculum.

CONS

1.  It will be a difficult transition for both teachers and students.  It will definitely be a slow    process.
2. It will likely cause a loss of teachers, especially veteran teachers may choose retirement rather than adjusting to the system.  My own mother in particular has been teaching for years and often becomes very frustrated with the new standards.
3. Younger students will be required to learn at a faster pace, there will be higher level thinking skills earlier on in education.
4. There is not a modified version of the Common Core tests for special needs students.
5. It costs money to update the technology needed of these standard assessments, being that they are all online and not all districts have schools with enough computers and some may not have computers at all.
6. There is currently only Common Core for Language Arts and Mathematics.  So Science and Social Studies will still vary state to state.

These are some of the main reasons why people are for the Common Core as well as reasons why others are against the Common Core.  Like just about everything there is good and bad to the Common Core but it is up to each individual to form his or her own opinion on the matter.  Thanks for reading!

Meador, Derrick. "Pros and Cons of the Common Core Standards." About Education. Web. 3 Mar. 2015.

 Medwin, Deborah. "30 Most Controversial Education Practices in U. S. History." Top Education Degrees.    Web. 3 Mar. 2015. <http://www.topeducationdegrees.org/30-most-controversial-education-practices-in-u-s-history/>