Common Core

The common core state standards are all the rage here in Arkansas.  Every interview I am asked, "What is your experience with Common Core?"
My answer- "I was trained in Virginia, and they use the Virginia Standards of Learning.  From what I have seen, they are very similar so I feel very comfortable using the Common Core Standards.  I think it's great that when students move, they will be able to pick up right where they left off and won't have holes in their education simply because the school systems are different from state to state."
What they hear- "Me No LiKeY CoMmOn CoRe. DuH-hErRrR." O_o

Virginia (along with Texas, Alaska, Minnesota, and Nebraska) has not adopted the Common Core State Standards.  Why? Because the VA SOL are better.  Just sayin'.  I can't speak for the other states, but Virginia has done fine with their standards, and has been working on them for nearly 2 decades.  They are specific and logical.  The Common Core standards are vague and have holes.  In my opinion. I guess its up to the teacher to fill in the holes, but if you want to better the education of our country with nationwide standards, you best be specific and not leave anything for interpretation.  In my humble opinion of course.

I was looking up stuff for "The Boss" (she is doing practicum in kindergarten right now, hoping to get an endorsement for regular ed. on her license) and came across documents that compare the SOL with Common Core.  Everything Common Core has, the SOL have.  In greater detail.

From the Virginia DOE website:

"While both the CCSS and SOL address foundational reading principles, the SOL address reading foundations in a logical  progression. Teachers can follow the SOL to easily develop lessons.  For example, SOL 1.9 reading fictional texts offers a sequential process. The CCSS Reading Standards for Literature grade 1 impose an artificial structure, which although covering the essential foundations, does not follow a logical instructional progression."

That's just for english.
Here's what they have to say for math:

"Both the CCSS for Mathematics and Virginia’s Mathematics SOL are rigorous and provide a detailed account of mathematics expectations for student learning and understanding.  The content topics covered in both documents are clearly defined and sequential.  By the time students have progressed into high school mathematics content through the CCSS or SOL, they have received at least the same mathematical content delivered through different learning progressions.  Virginia’s SOL are equal to or in some instances more rigorous in content and scope than the CCSS.  While learning progressions may not completely mirror one another, the content from both is aligned."


That is why Virginia is stubbornly NOT adopting the Common Core standards.  What they have works, and works well.  Why spend time, money, and resources to retrain teachers to use new standards that are not that different, and possibly inferior?

Take that Common Core!

And this is why I will never get a teaching job.