Fables of the Common Core: The True Standards and Their Role in Utah
Abstract
Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is a nationwide initiative to further regulate the education system—beyond No Child Left Behind—by implementing benchmarks that demand competency across a range of disciplines. CCSS intends to regulate what and how information is taught to U.S. children in order to level their overall competency with children from other nations who tend to statistically outperform them. However, CCSS is a major source of confusion for parents and educators who are unsure which organizations—governmental or nonprofit—control the development and implementation of the standards. This confusion has led to several misconceptions that continue to frustrate the public. This essay examines the foundation and principles of CCSS, ultimately bringing to light and responding to those misconceptions that still exist today. This paper discusses CCSS as a national movement and concludes by examining the economic and social ramifications in relation to Utah and its adoption of CCSS.
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