A nationwide group opposed to Common Core State Standards will rally this morning on the state Capitol grounds in Sacramento, a sign of growing turmoil to the coming changes in the way math and English are taught in 45 states and the District of Columbia, with people on both sides of the political aisle weighing in against the standards.
Written by a group of states and green-lighted by the Obama administration, the standards set common goals for reading, math and writing skills that students are expected to develop from kindergarten to 12th grade. The standards are designed to ensure that, for the first time, third-graders in Maine will get the same knowledge and skills as their peers in Hawaii. Once states begin testing based on the instruction, it will be possible for the first time to compare test scores between communities and states. Although classroom curriculum is left to the states, the standards stress critical thinking and problem-solving while encouraging students to think deeply about fewer topics.