Parents and Teachers: Common Core is a Scourge

With Obamacare, the backlash was instantaneous. Conservatives saw what the Socialist-in-Chief had in store for the country’s healthcare system and balked accordingly. It took a little longer for us to see the evils of his nationalized education plan. Common Core, though, is starting to become a major issue not just among conservatives but among teachers and parents from all political walks of life.

In Palm Beach County, they held a meeting this past week at a local high school. More than 80 local parents and educators stood up against the tenets of the program, voicing their concerns, angers, and frustrations.

Some parents pointed out the computerized testing being aimed at kindergarten students. “They had no idea how to work the computer mouse.”

Others took issue with the bizarre instructions Common Core books use to explain math. “Solving a simple math problem in 15 steps. What’s the point of that?”

Still others were outraged at the level of frustration their children were experiencing as a result of the endless assessment testing. “His anxiety level at 8 years old is through the roof. He’s so afraid he’s not going to pass.”

Florida is in a precarious point when it comes to the state of public education. It’s in the middle of moving from Sunshine State standards to a new, Common Core-based set of standards, and the results thus far have angered many on both the parental and educational side of the issue.

Nationwide Dissatisfaction

Of course, this isn’t just a Florida thing. 45 states have adopted some or all of the national Common Core standards, and the stories from those communities are equally as heartbreaking. Not only that, but we are starting to see the first signs of school districts trying to force the standards beyond the walls of their public schools. In New Jersey last month, a home-schooling family received a letter from the local superintendent. The letter informed the family that they would have to send an outline of their curriculum to the district, and that it would have to follow the New Jersey Common Core standards.

With the help of a good lawyer, the family was able to get the school district to back off, but don’t think for a minute this is the last we’ll hear of this. When government wants to stick its hands into every corner of your life, they will stop at nothing to see it through to the end. Eventually, a case is going to go to the Supreme Court and we’ll get some legal clarification. Until then, expect more of these cases to arise.

Unfortunately, with the architects of Common Core also being the ones behind the most commonly used college entrance exams, it may not be necessary for the government to force its way into the home school. If parents want their kids to get into college, they’ll have no other choice but to “teach to the tests.” This homogenization of the educational process treats children like robots, standardizing learning to the point where many kids will simply be left behind. Is it any surprise that so many parents and educators are concerned?