Frank Rose

Foundations of Education
3/8/2015
Dr. Christine McCarthy

Common Core Standards: Are They

Worth It?
Common core state standards, while employed in many states, are still
very hotly contested. From rants on Facebook, to scholarly articles, there are
very many people who thrust their viewpoints into the limelight every day
while the children of the world strive to learn in an educational limbo. Do we
employ state standards across the nation? What grade do we start at?
Should we apply the standards to all the grades at the same time, or should
we employ some sort of rolling start? There are many different facets to this
issue making it one of the most controversial educational issues of
contemporary schooling. Currently, there are eight states (Minnesota,
Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Indiana, Virginia, South Carolina, and Alaska)
that have not completely adopted common core standards. Three of these
states (Oklahoma, Indiana, and South Carolina) adopted the common core
standards; then, at some point, they withdrew their participation. This shows
exactly how controversial this topic is some states have fully adopted the
standards, some have rejected them completely, and some have even
changed their mind. In this paper, I will argue that common core state
standards are desperately needed and undeniably beneficial to the precollegiate students of the United States of America.

Common core standards should be accepted nationally for many

reasons; first, because a standardization of learning goals across the nation
will help dissipate geological disadvantages that some students experience.
In a study of mathematics conducted by the Center for the Study of
Mathematics Curriculum learning expectations vary greatly state to state
(Reys, et al., 2006). In the data, North Carolina is documented to have a total
of twenty-six learning expectations while Florida has a total of eighty-nine
(Reys, et al., 2006). This large discrepancy in learning expectations has
nothing to do with the students themselves they are just disadvantaged
because the states separately took it upon themselves to create their
curriculum independent of each other. Because of this, students who live in
North Carolina are expected to meet sixty-three less standards than students
who live in Florida. This will affect many things job hunting, scholarly
credibility, and even college entrance probability. This is not fair. Students
nationwide should all have equal opportunity to thorough private schooling
unaffected by their geological positioning. Children in North Carolina should
not have to move to a different state to avoid a less expectant education. All
states should provide similar educations and hold their students to equal
expectations.
Secondly, common core standards are necessary in enforcing a proper
public education for all students. In an article in The National Review, Bob
Riley states that seventy-five percent of students entering a two-year college
are required to take remedial English or Math or both. Sixty percent of

students entering four-year colleges find they have the same requirements
(Riley, 2014). Having nationwide standards for all students would ensure an
equal and thorough education for all students, making them more competent
in areas that really matter regardless of curriculum that each state decides
to adopt. Common core standards would ensure that no matter what, all
students are prepared for the relevant subject matter applicable in the real
world. High school graduation rates will increase, hopefully college
attendance will increase, and over time, American students will be better
educated.
There is one argument against mathematics common core state
standards that I hear constantly: the new material makes no sense; it is too
difficult. Here is a Facebook post that has more than 20,000 shares on the
social media site: Rant in progressCommon core I hate you and your
dumb freakin rules! Thanks to the brilliant people who created this
ridiculous curriculum, my son has no idea what the heck he is doing! How am
I supposed to teach my son how to do word problems when they want the
solutions to look so backwards? (Howell, 2014). The argument exampled
here is that since the parent cannot understand the material, it is ridiculous
and dumb. I have heard this complaint many times: if I cant understand the
work, how am I supposed to help my child? These arguments are strong and
deserve to be heard because as a parent, it is a scary thought to not be able
to help your child with homework that should be simple but all of the
sudden it is not.

Another strong argument against the common core is that they are
limiting the way that teachers teach; and therefore, they are ruining the way
that students learn. Having common standards throughout the nation will
very logically affect the material teachers are teaching. Teachers who have
been teaching the same things for years on end are suddenly being asked to
change their material. It makes sense that some teachers would not be
happy with this sudden change brought on by new education laws. Common
core standards have been compared to business standards engineering
standards (everything should be made the same way the best way!), but
the problem with this is that teaching is not a quantifiable task. Trying to
standardize teaching is illogical and impossible.
I believe the arguments for the embracing of common core state
standards are stronger. I am very perturbed by the discrepancy in learning
expectations nationwide; I believe this disadvantage is avoidable with the
application of common standards. I believe if schools were forced to hold
their students responsible for the same set of standards, students will be
better prepared for the real world. The strongest reason against the
acceptance of common core state standards is that it will force teachers to
change their teaching style; and while this is a very good point, I dont
believe this is necessary. Teachers can choose what to teach, as long as at
the end of the day, the students know what they need to know.
I have a big problem with the argument that common core standards
specifically math standards are dumb because they are different than the

old way of teaching. This argument I almost always hear coming from the
parent of child in a common core lead curriculum. Heres the thing: this
reason completely argues for the common core. It proves that mathematics
material is not being taught the proper way. Let me explain: material listed in
the common core math standards are no more difficult than what has been
taught since the early 1950s. The material emphasizes different ways of
understanding math problems in order to promote a more thorough
understanding of mathematics. The fact that some parents are unable to
help their children with their math homework is the precise reason why new
standards are so desperately needed. The old way of teaching
mathematics was very memorization based, no emphasis was placed on the
actual mathematics.
In conclusion, common core standards are one topic that have
polarized scholars of this contemporary age. There are good arguments for
and against; however, I believe that the arguments for the embracing of
common core standards far outweigh the opponents. Common core
standards would promote a deeper and more equal understanding of content
knowledge along with ensuring equal opportunity for all students in the
United States.
Works Cited

Howell, Tammy. Rant in progress..... Common Core I HATE YOU and your
dumb freakin rules!
Thanks to the "brilliant" people who created this ridiculous curriculum
my son has no idea what the heck he's doing! I'd love to see them
work out these math problems they way our kids have to! Why isn't the
way I was taught good anymore? How am I suppose to teach my son
how to do word problems when they want the solutions to look so
backwards! 27 Feb. 2014. [08 Mar. 2015
https://www.facebook.com/tammy.m.howell]
Riley, Bob. "Why I Support Common Core Standards, by Bob Riley, National
Review." National
Review Online. National Review, n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2015.
Reys, B. J. (Ed.) (2006). The intended mathematics curriculum as represented in
state-level curriculum
standards: Consensus or confusion? Charlotte, NC: Information Age
Publishing.