A set of tougher grade-level expectations for math and reading being rolled out this year by public and Catholic schools in Louisiana; 44 other states and the District of Columbia also voluntarily adopted the standards. Common Core standards in science have not yet been implemented in Louisiana.
The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers unveiled the standards in 2009. Education consultant David Coleman often is credited—or blamed—in being the author of the initiative, which was backed by various corporations, foundations and activists. Gov. Bobby Jindal and former state education chief Paul Pastorek supported its adoption here.
Raise the bar for education standards, “creating a more highly skilled workforce that is better equipped to meet the needs of local, state and national economies,” according to a statement issued by a coalition of national business leaders.
Not enough American high school graduates are ready for college or a career. Significant achievement gaps exist between states, and Louisiana consistently ranks near the bottom of the nation in educational attainment.
Statewide tests will be aligned with Common Core this year. Districts are choosing books, methods and materials in their efforts to meet the new expectations. Educators still are working out the details, but students are in for more nonfiction reading and high-level math. It will not be surprising if standardized test scores drop this year.
While the federal government does not mandate Common Core, President Barack Obama’s administration has offered grants to aid and encourage its implementation, and much of the recent opposition has come from conservatives. “What began as a plan to develop standards that states could adopt voluntarily has now become a tool of federal coercion,” wrote state Rep. Cameron Henry, a Metairie Republican, in a letter urging Jindal to support his proposal to pull Louisiana out of Common Core.
That’s a common misconception, but no. First, it should be noted that many prominent conservatives still support Common Core. But some parents say their children are struggling with the new expectations. Many liberals worry that arts and literature will be even further marginalized in favor of “teaching to the test.” Some officials fear the standards eventually will be used as a basis for punishing districts that don’t perform well. And many teachers see Common Core as the latest fad being imposed on classrooms—largely by non-educators—without any evidence that it will produce the desired results. If it doesn’t work, teachers may end up as the scapegoats.
As mentioned above, Jindal has supported Common Core. John White, his handpicked education superintendent, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, most of whose members were either appointed by Jindal or elected with his support, are on board. But Jindal raised questions about his commitment to Common Core when pressed on the issue at the RedState Gathering of conservatives in New Orleans this summer, saying he supports rigorous standards, not a “federalized curriculum.” Some conservatives say he still needs to clearly state whether he’s for or against Common Core.
While there is some fresh momentum in that direction, lawmakers easily killed an anti-Common Core proposal at this year’s session. Jindal, White, the Legislature, BESE, or all of the above would be making a radical about-face if they tried to turn back now.
White recently decided not to pursue up to $44 million in federal grant money for early childhood education, explaining that any federal involvement in education has become controversial. Dumping Common Core now would mean that years of expense and effort were wasted. Whether it’s worth doing so anyway perhaps is the debate we’re about to have.
