The Common Core: great if you're affluent

Carol Burris, a principal in New York state, writes in a letter in The Hechinger Report to Jayne Ellspermann, a principal in Florida, that the problems she sees with the Common Core go beyond mechanical issues of implementation to the standards themselves. If every child in America grew up in a financially secure home with access to enriching activities and an excellent pre-school, the standards would be great. Since this is not the case, early childhood researchers are likely correct, that the long-term, negative effects of the Common Core for many children will be enormous. To help all children succeed, we need reasonable standards in the primary grades, differentiated instruction for all learners, and instructional support to narrow learning gaps over time. Sorting students as "on the path" to college-readiness -- or not -- with unreasonable tests causes irreparable harm. In New York state, students of color, economically disadvantaged students, and special education students disproportionately "failed" Common Core tests in 2013 and in 2014. If New York retained all third graders who scored a "1" on Common Core tests (1 signifies below basic, 3 is proficient), it would hold back 45 percent of black or Latino students, 75 percent of students with disabilities, and 75 percent of English language learners. More

Source:  Public Education News Blast

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Los Angeles Education Partnership (LAEP) is an education support organization that works as a collaborative partner in high-poverty communities.