New York State had the Board of Regents Examinations, successful passing being mandatory for the issuance of an academic diploma. Each exam rigorously tested for a minimum of factual knowledge in every known subject. That's what I though "Common Core" was supposed to be about.
What is it actually about? Commie indoctrination?
I teach in Ohio. It is a small, urban school in which I teach eleventh grade English language arts. This used to be American literature. It still is, to some extent. By following the prescribed content, we’ve read exactly two literary texts: “The Minister’s Black Veil” and “The Pit and the Pendulum.” The rest of the CC prescription is informational text. We’ve read the Declaration, the Preamble, the Bill of Rights, Patrick Henry’s “Speach to the Virginia Convention,” “Federalist Papers Number 44,” Dr. King’s “Letter from the Birmingham City Jail,” Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience,” Stanton’s “Declaration of Sentiments,” the Iriquois Constitution, Douglass’ “What to the Slave is the 4th of July,” Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address and the Emancipation Proclamation and several other historical informational texts. We were just about to read a lovely ten page narrative about the Chinese building the transcontinental railroad when I had enough and supplemented with other material.
You might think that the informational text is all good and well; however, CC requires that all of those documents be examined through a victim’s lens. It’s all about the evil white man. In fact, the CC standards for To Kill a Mockingbird (which I teach every year highlighting the conservative values within, and sorry for no italics) focus on the development of the female characters! What?
Does the name "Diana Moon Glampers" ring a bell?
One of the goals is to dumb down society because one segment of American society can't/won't compete academically to better themselves, so it's unfair that others strive to be the best that they can be, therefore, nipping intelligence in the bud is desirable under Common Core.