Opinion: Common Core Will Help Teachers
The implementation of the Common Core standards has sparked several debates across the country. Co-founder of Educators for Excellence and former Bronx elementary school teacher Evan Stone discusses how teachers can benefit from the new standards.
In an opinion piece for the New York Post, Stone clarifies common misconceptions about the Common Core such as the notion that it increases student testing:
The Common Core is not a prescription for more testing nor does it raise the stakes of testing. Yes, students are experiencing more assessments this year — but that’s the result of a new teacher-evaluation system that aims to track the progress educators are making with their students. Many teachers are eager to discuss the role of evaluations in supporting their work, and the appropriate uses of assessments, but those are entirely separate debates. They shouldn’t be confused with the Common Core.
Stone also encourages readers to embrace the Common Core as the next step in improving American education:
But schools in New York and across the country are at a crossroads. We can retreat in the face of this challenge and start over from scratch . . . or we can work together to implement effectively what most agree are a pretty good set of standards.
Will it be messy, bumpy and noisy for a little while? You bet. But our students are worth the ride.
