Parents can sit on the sidelines during this debate over Common Core or gain an understanding of what is involved and give the decision makers on both sides of the issue a piece of your mind.
Both sides agree that frequent changing of academic standards and tests are a problem. Educators and politicians have remained victims to the flavor of the month since we switched standards many times in the recent past to no avail.
No Child Left Behind did not remedy our public education problem and Common Core may not be a panacea either. Parents and those with a stake in a well educated workforce cannot continue to passively looking to others for remedies. Our mutual education agenda should be leaving substandard education behind in favor of preparing students for success in a competitive global economy where knowing your stuff is prerequisite. The U.S. ranks 16th out of 23 countries in literacy proficiency, 21st in numeracy proficiency, and 14th in problem solving in technology-rich environments.
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It is time for the parents in the crowd to voice the cry “Rise Up” for education.