Common Core

So I've been thinking.  

In the last couple of years, much discussion in the educational world has been centered around the new common core "state" standards.  There are many arguments against them.  There are good educators leaving because they feel constrained to teach to a test.  I've had to write my motherfucking English 10 curriculum 3 times: initially, when I first taught the class, then again when I was transferred to a new school, and again last year when we were told under no uncertain terms, that the standards are our curriculum.  I was so stressed about having to re-write this curriculum last year that I ended up in my doctor's office hooked up to an EKG machine due to the strange heart palpitations I was having.  There was nothing wrong; chalk it up to anxiety.

So I can empathize with folks who leave this profession.  I have been looking myself.  But I must blame much of my stress and anxiety to the poor job my district has done in the implementation of such standards, their lousy job of communicating expectations to those of us in the classrooms, and a significant lack of support and resources.  

I've not only read all of the standards that pertain to my courses, I've designed my instruction and assessments around them.  Yes, there is a certain amount of teaching to this new test.  Yes, I'm sad that some of my favorite curriculum has been relegated to the back of my filing cabinet as "maybe someday."  But actually, I don't feel the need to rail against it.  I'm not THAT upset about replacing curricula.  And it's not because I've sold out to make sure I have a job, and it's not because I don't care about literature.  It's because the curricula I've developed is solid, and I'm actually quite proud of it.  I know what a rich, rigorous course should look like, and I'm just working to provide that for my students.  I even kinda like the standards.  

When I see the new Smarter Balanced test, I am concerned for the kids at the bottom.  However, I think that the tasks they are asked to do on the test are things that our graduates should be able to do.  There should be changes: kids ought to be able to take it in their native language, it needs to be shorter, kids need more than 1 opportunity, and so on.  

I guess there needs to be idealists out there who beat their drums in anger and protest, but on this one, I'm kinda okay with it.