The Common Core Conundrum

The first day of school bell has rung and you know what that means:  emails requiring strongly suggesting that we attend Common Core Standards training and implementation professional development days.  Last year, I went to six days of training for the High School English and Mathematics standards, which meant missing six days of instruction with my students.  You’re probably asking, “Isn’t that a good thing?”  Well, no, it’s not.  I hate being away from my students.  The information provided by the consultants was specific to students performing at-grade-level, meaning ninth through twelfth grade students.  There was no discussion of how to change the standards to be useful and accessible to my students.  There was no information on how to make curricular adaptations to plan lessons for my students.  What an incredible waste of resources and opportunities!  The new Common Core Standards might be the best thing since sliced bread, but our students need a great deal of modifications and adaptations, not only to the Standards themselves, but how they access the information with physical, vision, hearing, cognitive, and behavioral difficulties. 

One thing that really gets my goat is that the consultants rarely even mention the fact that there may be learners with differences.  If the supposed “expert” consultants don’t even acknowledge the fact that there are students with differences (who, by the way are taught a curriculum aligned to these standards) education in this country will continue to be “us” and “them”.  With “them” having all the major players at the table making decisions, and “us” fighting for acceptance as equal participants in society.  Learning differences do not make a student’s education any less valuable, nor does it negate the fact that they are intelligent and can learn.  We’ve got to stop using one yardstick to define intelligence and value.  We need to do more than just acknowledge the fact that we are all different and special.  We should embrace the capabilities of all learners.  We should make sure that everyone has a place at the education table to support "college and career readiness.”  Every single learner has value and a place in our society. 

I believe this dear students, because a day without you is a day without sunshine.