Common Sense about Common Core

Jim Dueck has a career in education spanning 40 years of service as a teacher, principal, superintendent and assistant deputy minister. He has also advised representatives from almost 50 education systems around the world who sought suggestions regarding assessment and accountability in education, including the US government’s launch of the Race to the Top initiative.

• PrefaceIntroductionAmericans Are Uninformed About Common CoreThe Myth of Federal Government Over-reachStandards Versus CurriculumThe Political GameTrust Or AccountabilityFairness? Finally!Teacher Gender and Fairness to BoysCommon Assessment: An InvestmentPaying Teachers for What MattersHow Common Sense About Continuous PassCommon Sense is PrevailingConclusion

Overwhelmingly, the media portrays an American public that has rejected Common Core on the premise that it revokes states’ autonomy in policy making and on the harmful effects of high-stakes assessment on students, teachers, and schools. Common Sense about the Common Core offers readers the less-often shared perspective: that Common Core Standards and accompanying accountability measures are what are most needed in education reform. In contrast to its title, however, this book does not attempt to overcome education’s politics so much as seek to replace them with a different set of ideologies. These are defined by critical mistrust of those charged with educating the nation’s youth: teachers, teachers' unions, teacher preparation programs, school administrators, politicians, and even parents, whom the author has deemed misinformed about Common Core. The argument is clearly written, complete with a bulleted summary of main points at the end of each chapter and italicized key ideas throughout. . . .Summing Up:Recommended. Researchers, faculty, general readers.