Don't Be Quick To Discard Common Core

  • Sunday, November 23, 2014

Let's not be too quick to discard Common Core.

A recent article in the Tennessean on  Sunday detailed Common Core successes the Kingsport, Tennessee school system.  I encourage you to read it. 

The article also noted that Tennessee was recently ranked as one of the fastest improving states in education after implementing portions of the Common Core curriculum in systems across the state over the last three years. 

No doubt, it is very important for our young people to be prepared to compete for jobs in a national and global economy. 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a set of core basic education standards that all Tennessee students should seek to meet to ensure our competitiveness. If we don't, other states and nations will soon pass us by and be seen by business interests as better investments. Good jobs will go elsewhere.  Why? Because other states and nations will have a much better educated and prepared workforce to fill the good paying jobs that require knowledge, skill and critical thinking ability. 

I believe we can still have local control of education to determine how best to meet Common Core standards. However, we don't live or work in isolation and we shouldn't try to educate our children in isolation to the real world realities in the competitiveness necessary to succeed.  It's important to know how we stack up to other states and ultimately to other nations to meet or exceed them in education standards.  Common Core shows great promise in this area. 

Another added benefit I see in the Kingsport/Common Core model is by increasing high school graduation rates and making students better prepared for college and careers,  we are increasing their chances of staying out of jails and prisons where they become a burden on the taxpayers. 

There is a direct correlation between education achievement and staying out of prison. The less education success for the individual, the more likely to commit crimes and go to prison.  I know our prisons and jails are full of people who lack even a high school diploma. 

Common Core was designed by the states not the federal government. 

Don't get caught up in the distorted political rhetoric of Common Core being a bad thing. It may need some modifications, but the concept is very good. 

Common Core,  if more widely implemented, will make our state and nation stronger and more competitive in the national and global economy. Common Core will also keep more of our young people out of our jails and prisons. 

Tim Gobble

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