Lately there has been a lot of talk about how Common Core is a problem.  Usually a video of a student, teacher, or parent trying to explain a very lengthy process by which to complete a simple math calculation follows these posts.  The question is, “What is the root of the problem; Common Core or curriculum?”

After doing much research on the subject, I have come to the conclusion that the problem isn’t actually Common Core because it is simply a set of standards by which one uses as the base for what students show learn at a certain point in their education.  The problem comes from the interpretation of those standards in the creation of textbooks by the companies that are trying to appeal to California, Texas, and New York.  The other issue is that many other states follow behind these states as far as updating curriculum and therefore use unsubstantiated curriculum.  Download this paper that explains this major problem in education and curriculum today in detail.

Therefore, when visiting a new school for your child, ask about the curriculum.  Ask about alternatives for students who learn differently.  Remember, there are different ways of learning just like there are different ways to communicate learning.  Any school that is teaching to an average kid needs to realize that average does not exist.  Until the education system is ready to meet the needs of individual students, they will not be successful at meeting the needs of many.