Commenters on the AJC Get Schooled blog had a range of reactions to the dual hearings underway on Common Core State Standards. In response to political pressure, both the Georgia House and the state Board of Education are holding public hearings to study the standards, including whether the federal government had a role. Here is a sampling of reader comments under each poster’s chosen screen name:
Raja: Maybe if we just changed the name for the exact same standards to Free Enterprise and Liberty Education Standards, all the detractors would be satisfied.
TheDeal: Standards of any kind don't matter unless you see the curriculum that helps you achieve those standards. I think people who have issues with Common Core actually have issues with the curriculum being used to get to those standards. In the case of Georgia and specifically, DeKalb County, you could have standards that say a first grader needs to be able to read Faulkner, or you could have standards that say a first grader needs to be able to read "Pat the Bunny," and it wouldn't matter. Their primary focus is in paying lawyers and central office staff. They rarely talk about student achievement in a true sense.
NorthHall: I think superintendents are supporting Common Core because they have spent so much money trying to implement the new standards. Instead of doing what is best for students, it is all about saving money. For elementary students, I feel the standards are not developmentally appropriate and have no logical scope and sequence. It is almost like completely different groups worked on each grade level. Our children can't continue to be guinea pigs. They have one shot at school, and they should not be subjected to a terrible curriculum to see if it works.
Quid: I think it is amusing so many people are up in arms over the Common Core standards. We have had three different sets of standards in the decade or so I have worked in Georgia, and I don't remember there being even a peep from anyone about the previous standards when they rolled out — and believe me, there was nothing special about them. They were certainly no better than Common Core, and in many cases, were worse. There are likely areas of weakness in the Common Core standards — subject areas and grade levels that need some tweaking — but I like the fact they allow for higher-level thinking skills. There does need to be more leeway for those students for whom higher-order thinking is problematic, but overall, my main problem with CC is the focus on testing, testing, testing — not the standards themselves.
Cat: Republican lawmakers don't care what it is all about. They have no intention of reading and learning about them. They do what their handlers tell them. If Rush Limbaugh et al say it is a federal takeover, then it is. Teachers are tired of being jerked around, the goal posts constantly moved. Pick a lane and stay in it! And get your mitts out of education, unless you personally can demonstrate how to do it! (Not made up results, a la Michelle Rhee and Bev Hall.)
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