My quest to understand more about the Common Core State Standards continues with Brad McQueen's book. Brad is an educator who was asked by the Arizona Department of Education to fly out to Chicago and work on the Common Core test, known as the PARCC. This book is about his experience.Brad states the following:
- Common Core was written in secret with little to no input from the public. Interestingly, many of the individuals who wrote the standards are affiliated with SAT and ACT testing organizations.
- It keeps its agenda hidden
- It is controlled by the Federal Government
- It will cost more than promised
- The standards are not more rigorous
- And, it is an avenue for Big Business
From what I have read so far, it appears that Common Core has weaknesses. On the other hand, what about the opportunities it could create for students? Only time will tell.
Brad McQueen is a writer and teacher living in Tucson, Arizona.
