Common Core and basic facts

The Common Core State Standard Initiative is a national effort which influences specific teachings in schools. By school year 2014-2015, 85 percent of local school district's choice of curriculum must align with the copyrighted standards. The word ‘curriculum' is defined by www.edglossary.org as the knowledge and skills students are expected to learn; the units and lessons teachers teach; the assignments and projects given to students; the books, materials and readings used in a course; and the tests, assessments, and other methods used to evaluate student learning. In other words, it dictates and evaluates what your child learns and how.

School districts have been told they may continue to choose their own curricula as long as they align with the standards. That's like telling me as a carpenter, I can use the yellow tape measure or the red one (the tape measure being my curriculum), as long as 1 foot equals 12 inches. That is acceptable, but what if I was told I had to choose one that said 1 foot equals 13 inches? Students are coming home daily with correct answers being counted as wrong. Why? Because the aligned curriculum dictates that 9 X 10 no longer equals 90 unless you draw nine groups of 10 stick people to explain your answer. Sounds crazy, right? Aligned curricula do not allow for memorization of math facts. It does, however, provide a very detailed and specific "script" for teachers to follow when teaching 85 percent of everything children will learn in school.

CHRIS HINZE, New Wells, Mo.