Posted under Education Politics & Federal Government & Grades and Standards & Independence Institute & PPC & Research
Last spring I told you about a growing movement to oppose the Common Core standards and accompanying assessments, as well as the momentum toward a national curriculum. Well, a recent spate of evidence suggests that the Common Core cause has fallen on hard times, to say the least:
- Two recent Pioneer Institute reports not only call into question the legality of the Common Core push but also estimate the transition costs at a daunting $16 billion
- South Carolina leaders have pushed back hard against the nationalization of education, prompting a loud response from Education Secretary Arne Duncan
- The only expert Education Next could find to defend the Common Core math standards in an online debate turned out not to be much of a Common Core supporter after all
- Once a backer of the U.S. Department of Education’s efforts, nationally-respected Washington Post education columnist and author Jay Mathews came out a couple days ago with his evidence-backed case for why Common Core standards will fail
Since before I pointed out the anti-national curriculum petition nine months ago, many key Colorado education leaders (including my Education Policy Center friends) have added their names. The momentum (and the case) against the Common Core push continues to grow stronger. Depending on which side you take, February 2012 will be a month to remember — or a month to forget.
