In a recent PBS Newshour article, Paul Solman asks, "Are College and Career Skills Really the Same?" In his article he questions the nation's race to adopt Common Core standards and whether the adoption of de facto national standards is in the best interest of all kids.
Two of his areas of concern are worth summarizing here. First is the widespread adoption of standards that do not have, "solid evidence documenting gains for student academic or career outcomes." The standards sound rigorous, they appear globally competitive, but we lack the empirical data that would demonstrate their effectiveness with real kids.
The second of his concerns is whether 'college skills' and 'career skills' are highly aligned at all. Does the student whose career aspiration is law enforcement need the same academic preparation as the student who wants to be a math professor? Solman argues, "All students should master a verifiable set of skills, but not necessarily the same skills." That sounds a lot like our district's 20/20 vision - tailoring instruction and content to meet the needs of each student so that they can reach their potential - whatever that may be.
The one size fits all nature of Common Core implies a static career path with success or failure dictated by standards that may have little to do with a student's ultimate career objective. So, if the student is academically oriented and college-bound, perhaps Common Core is exactly what they need.
But what if they're not?