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Kylie Overmyer

English 102

Professor Newport

05/8/17

The Destruction of Education

Martin Luther King Jr. once said, the function of education is to teach one to think

intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character that is the goal of true education.

If this is the goal of true education, then why is Common Core trying to eliminate building

character within education? Education lets those who exceed the standards excel in their

education, and those who battle it get help along the way thats the way it has always been. If a

student is denied better opportunities so they can be equal to those who struggle, then the

meaning of education has been compromised. Today, the U.S. is more concerned with data

mining students and shoving challenging standards down their throat, pushing for preparation in

the adult world.

Socialists have invented this idea of creating individuals equipped with the skills

necessary for the working world by preventing intellectuals from competing with those opposite

of them, which to them creates an equal education opportunity and those who are fit for a career

in the STEM field (science, technology, engineering, and math). What they arent aware of is that

by this creation of Common Core, theyre responsible for the destruction of education, and the

elimination of higher level students by giving students equivalent standards. Although its main

goal is to prepare students for a career in the working world, Common Core State Standards are

not beneficial to K-12 students education because it sets them back in their educational
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development, causes students to struggle since they arent developmentally ready, and limits

diversity within educational abilities.

This world revolves around progression; whether that be in technology, knowledge, or

power. To progress is to advance in an area by building it into something more beneficial or to

witness a situation getting better and evolving into a more constructive and productive situation.

If an individual or matter is progressing it is transforming from something that is deteriorating,

into a more advantageous situation that promotes motivation to succeed, as well as modifying it

to be more rewarding in society. To make progress is to make something better, and in the case of

education, it is to make education a more substantial and tailored to create more intelligent and

productive individuals so theyre better citizens in the world. The education the Socialists have

created to be the model of today would be an example of a circumstance that is not progressing,

but is deteriorating instead. If education were progressing, it would be producing students that

are satisfied with their education, as well as growing and surpassing their limits. Instead, its

causing students to resent school, to find education unenjoyable and impossible to comprehend,

as well as causing individuals to become depressed and have an impact on their attendance.

Progression looks like moving toward a goal of succession, changing, and transforming into

something that an individual or a society can be proud of and admire for what positive impact

has been made, which can provide ambition to make even more progress. By progressing in the

world, it creates new and useful technology, objects that make lives easier or more efficient in

daily lives, or gives an individual the confidence to keep doing what they need to do to

accomplish their goal. It is vital to the wellbeing of a functional society to continue progressing.

Quality or Quantity?
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The Common Core

Standards were first adopted in

2009 by 48 U.S. states, with the

intention by the creators the

National Governors Association and the Council for Chief State School Officers to produce

equal individuals that are college ready or career ready (Common Core State Standards

Initiative). What the creators didnt realize is that by turning education into an equal

curriculum, theyre instead producing students that dont find the point in school, and are

transforming teachers from teaching curriculum into teaching to standardized tests. Common

Core as a result is not accomplishing what it was meant to, and is not productive in creating

exceling students, but instead is setting them up to be at least two years behind developmentally.

Bill Gates, best known for founding Microsoft, is also the founder of the Gates

Foundation, which happens to be the biggest funder for Common Core. In an oral presentation

Common Core: Dangers and Threats to American Liberty and Education, presented by Dr.

Duke Pesta, he presents the facts behind the creation of the standards and the reasons why

theyre harmful. According to Dr. Pesta, as of 2014 the Gates Foundation has spent nearly $2.5

billion on funding Common Core, as well as bribing schools to adopt the standards to excuse

them from the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) (Common Core: Dangers and Threats). In

other words, not only were the standards adopted out of bribes by Gates, they were adopted to

receive better funding and exemption without much consideration of the quality of the standards

themselves. In addition to this, the funding is also spent on mass data mining children which is

against the law (Common Core: Dangers and Threats). But since non-government associations
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founded Common Core, this cannot be influenced by the voters who disagree with it and

prevents it from being illegal.

The basis of Common Core is more outcome focused and concentrates more on the

process and critical thinking of coming up with an answer and less on whether the answer is right

or wrong. Traditional methods of learning math that would, for example, normally take 30

seconds to answer a problem such as 235 + 450, from personal experience can now take up to 10

minutes to solve from the visual diagrams used to solve the problem. Unfortunately, this process

just frustrates children and discourages them

from wanting to practice more problems. Its

also difficult for students who, again from

personal experience, are in college to major in

education to learn these standards considering

they werent raised on these methods. This can cause teachers who grew up with more traditional

methods struggle when it comes to reiterating the Common Core methods to students. In addition

to this, it can be upsetting to parents who arent able to help their children with math homework

because they dont understand the Common Core methods, which is very restricting and

unproductive. These restrictions and frustrations caused from the standards prevent education

from being beneficial and as a result can hurt an individuals education and cause them to fall

behind if they dont understand.

Aside from the disadvantages, some individuals believe that the new standards are

advantageous considering they set the goals and expectations for students at an equal level. The

main objective of Common Core is to set standards to provide all students with the same

necessary skills to be prepared for their career in the future by teaching them to think more
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critically and be able to problem solve better. Emily Liebtag, a Ph.D. in Education, states in her

publication: Moving Forward with Common Core State Standards Implementation: Possibilities

and Potential Problems, that The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) aim to ameliorate

some of the issues of teaching, learning, and testing that have been plaguing schools (Liebtag

57). Which tells that the standards were created as a solution to problematic teaching and

education that wasnt being taught and learned in a constructive manner. It also claims to solve

the problem of students who move most likely wont be at a different place in their education

considering the standards are the same in 45 states.

The standards also put more restrictions on teachers by observing how they teach and

providing them with material they must teach to the students. The goal of this is to correct poor

teaching by being required to unpack the standards, design curriculum, and make instructional

decisions for their students (qtd. in Liebtag 62). By teachers being instructed to do so, it creates

a more restrictive curriculum that focuses on skills that the students are all equally learning, also

with the hopes of improving the teachers passion for teaching (Liebtag 62). This can be a

positive aspect of Common Core, in addition to pushing students to become better thinkers and

problem solvers. As said before, the standards focus of the process of getting an answer and force

the student to consider why a problem is a certain way and how to solve it constructively, which

is a very important skill to acquire and master for the working world.

The Race to The Top

One of the reasons for the creation of Common Core comes from the politicians worries

that we are falling behind other countries education-wise (Reid, Building the Machine). Theres

this invisible race to be the best and to be the top educated country, but why is this such a
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competition? The fact is, by pushing students to advance prematurely with standards that are too

over their heads, Common Core is actually setting students back by two more years, in addition

to the two years theyre behind compared to other countries; this is a total of four years students

are now behind developmentally (Common Core: Dangers and Threats). Unfortunately, the

students cant help that they struggle with the critical

thinking and problem solving that Common Core is so

focused on; the part of their brain thats responsible for

this, the prefrontal cortex, isnt fully developed until the

age of 25 (Common Core: Dangers and Threats). As a

result, some students battle the curriculum because they fail to understand what is the right or

wrong answer. Since the process of CCSs methods are concentrated on how and why, it can be

challenging for students to know whether theyre doing a method correct or have mixed feelings

by it.

Even though theres this assumption that the United States needs to be the most educated

and have the best education in the world, the reality is that children arent wired to be involved in

such critical thinking at such a young age as mentioned before. In 2009, Obama created the

Race to the Top Fund, to make underdeveloped schools better and to adopt standards and

assessments that will improve education and prepare students for college (Race to the Top

Fund). Although it may be beneficial to better schools that need it and create standards to better

American education, politicians believe that the standards will ensure our students are globally

competitive (qtd. in Liebtag 58) and that it will put us up there with the most educated countries

there are. To achieve this, Common Core standards were created and are held to a higher

standard than before, a whole two years ahead to previous standards (Common Core: Dangers
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and Threats). By throwing these new standards at students who are kindergarten 3 rd grade

level, it causes them to struggle and get frustrated because the material that is covered is too

complex for their underdeveloped prefrontal cortexes and they are just not ready to understand

the concepts given quite yet.

The Negative Effects

One of the most important reasons why Common Core is harmful to education is how it

effects the teachers and the students. By creating curriculum around standardized testing, it

creates this restriction on what the students learn and how the teachers are able to teach. In

addition to this, the pressure on teachers has been amplified because their job security now relies

on their students test scores. The justification of this, according to the creators of CCSS, is that

the new standards are meant to reconstruct teaching and create better teachers by being strict on

what they are teaching and by making sure theyre teaching it (Krashen 1). This ensures that

what will be on the Common Core tests will be taught in class and doesnt include very much of

other information thats outside of preparing

students for college (Krashen 2). Through a

personal survey conducted, one teacher

claimed that they feel frustrated and

powerless because they feel like theyre

just teaching to the tests and arent able to

teach what students should really be

learning. Another teacher stated that they feel like its just drilling the information into the

students and it standardizes teaching. Its unsuitable to base a teachers worth and abilities off

tests that are already too complex for students to comprehend. The reality is, the teachers can

teach what will be on the tests all they want, but that wont change the fact that the expectations

of the students on the outcome of the tests are too high as it is.

Furthermore, the students are put under this great deal of pressure as well, as they are

asked of more than they are capable of by these new standards. As mentioned before, Common

Cores intentions are to prepare students for college and for their careers, but why do we need to
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be preparing children as young as five years old for college already? Over-testing will not

prepare students for their future because testing is not applicable in a career setting. It puts stress

on the students that they must prepare for these tests by continuously pre-testing them, causing

them to breakdown in tears, become angry, and give even young children anxiety (Karp 16).

Additionally, creates depression and resentment toward school and learning. Its inappropriate to

be putting this much of a strain on a childs education when they are not able to handle it.

Unfortunately, education has become based on testing and data mining, rather than being

centered around the students and learning.

Diversity is Important

Unfortunately, one of the main concepts of Common Core is to give students fair

opportunities and equal success (Liebtag 58). Isnt this the opposite of what education should be

about? The reality is, not every student is equally gifted when it comes to education; theres

going to be students who struggle and students who excel in the material theyre learning.

Common Core puts a halt on this by not rewarding children for their advanced academic success

and doesnt accommodate for students who are struggling by permitting tutoring and extra help

to catch up. This is such a disadvantage to because it takes away the diversity and individuality

of education within society. Its so important for children to be different and not all be the same,

equal product; individuals branch out into different careers, so why make everyone the same? As

mentioned before, the reason for these new standards to be equal is to prepare students for a

career in the STEM fields, but the problem with this is that not all students will go into those

fields; so, its not suitable for all students and their education.

Students should be allowed to be diverse in their education like theyve always been able

to, and letting them build character through it as well. Education plays an important role in
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shaping a person into the citizen theyll be in society and affects their goals and aspirations. By

giving everyone the same, equal opportunities for

success, its limiting students in what they want to

get out of their education. Guaranteed, students

dont want to be standardized and be labeled as

an average, identical student; the purpose is to

be different and branch out into various levels of

achievement in education. The U.S. did okay for creating outstanding and successful individuals

before common core its not needed to produce successful adults.

Is It Really All That Bad?

Although Common Core does more harm than good, some would argue it is a positive

improvement to education. One of the reasons it would be advantageous is that mostly all of the

U.S. has adopted these standards, with the exception of a few, so if a student moves to a different

state the odds of them having different expectations at a new school are quite slim (Liebtag 58).

Also, by cracking down on teachers and giving them these new standards to follow, its believed

to improve the quality of teachers with the hopes of restoring their passion for teaching (Liebtag

62). This is a definite advantage to Common Core because by helping to improve teaching, it can

improve learning; when a teacher is more passionate about what theyre teaching, the learning is

more of a positive experience for children.

Another beneficial aspect would be the exchange of tips, tools, and materials between

teachers across states that implement the CCSS. This can be advantageous because teachers can

share what works for them in the classroom when working with the new standards; for example,

sharing videos of teachers using CCSS and training resources to help them apply the standards in
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their own teaching (Liebtag 62). Instead of each state having different standards and different

training, its more efficient when the states have the same standards and training to apply to their

teachers. In addition to this, some would argue as well that testing is necessary in education.

Which can be agreed upon, but in moderation. Testing once a year or so can be a useful tool in

showing if children are learning what they need to be

learning in school. By considering these aspects, the more

beneficial side of Common Core is shown.

Even Though We Can, Should We Really?

In the science fiction novel Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, a medical student

named Victor Frankenstein defies the laws of nature by giving a corpse life and the creation turns

out to be a harmful monster. The book prompts the question, just because we can create

something that could make society possibly more efficient, is it always a good idea? In the case

of Common Core, the answer to this question is a clear one: no. Just because the associations that

founded the new standards can construct scripted curriculum and data mine students, they

shouldnt because its causing the destruction of education. In Frankenstein, Victor pushed for

this idea of if he could bring a corpse back to life, that it would change the way we treat life and

would create the possibility of bringing loved ones back.

Victor quickly regrets his actions once he realizes that he created a monster that is

destructive and is killing what he loves. Although Common Core isnt going as extreme, it can be

related to Frankenstein in the form of how after putting it into effect, it has had a negative impact

on students education and is ultimately damaging to schools, teachers, and students. By keeping

these new standards in place, it is not improving education and making society better, but is

instead transferring the control of education into the hands of individuals who arent so
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concerned about learning, but rather turning education into job training (Bascom 2). This is an

unfortunate turn on education and even though we can turn school into training, it should be

centered around students and learning about the world around them. These standards, again, are

more destructive than constructive.

Conclusion

Overall, Common Core will not improve education for many reasons. There will

be those who argue that the new standards will improve the outcome of students, but CCSS are

not effective or reasonable to make a positive impact on American students education. They are

creating resentment toward education, a fear of teaching, a delay in children, and the

standardization of intelligence. Students and teachers should not be reduced to test scores when

the bar is raised too high for equal achievement to be possible. Furthermore, students should not

be restricted in their educational abilities and should be allowed to have that diversity in what

theyre able to do. Its not right to hold back those who can achieve so much more than theyre

allowed just so that everyone has fair opportunities to succeed.

Stephen Krashen, the author of the article The Common Core: A Disaster for Libraries, A

Disaster for Language Arts, A Disaster for American Education, claims that, The common core

will continue the process of turning schools into test-prep centers (Krashen 1). This is a sad

reality of education today; schools are over-testing and turning education into determining a

students worth on a test score. Learning is so much more than testing, its about building a

passion for knowledge and always wanting to know more and what new things are out there.

Education helps transform individuals into the citizens they will be in society and creates

aspirations that will turn dreams into amazing successes. Common Core will not achieve this
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because it doesnt supply students with the ability to fulfill their capabilities and find what

theyre good at because theyre constantly being held to these complex and high standards.

Although something needs to be done to improve education in America, Common Core is

ultimately not a solution. Making harder standards, putting immense pressure on teachers and

children, and trying to produce individuals with all the same skills will not make education more

beneficial. This country strives on diversity and individuality, so why should the goal of

American education be to prepare everyone for only a

few career fields when the possibility for careers are

so much broader? The new standards need to be

repealed so American education can revolve again on

learning and building knowledge rather than test-prep

and pushing complex standards onto children who

arent developmentally ready. We need to get rid of

over-testing and find a different solution to improve education. Testing is not education.

Works Cited

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Critical Education, vol. 4, no. 5, 10 May 2013.

http://ices.library.ubc.ca/index.php/criticaled/article/view/184278/184008 Accessed 15

Apr. 2017

Bascom, James. 9 Reasons Why Common Core is Bad for Education. TFP Student Action.

N.p., 20 Jan. 2016. Web. 3 Apr. 2017. https://www.tfpstudentaction.org/blog/9-reasons-

why-common-core-is-bad-for-education

Botzakis, Stergios, Leslie David Burns, and Leigh A. Hall. Literacy Reform and Common Core

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Krashen, Stephen. The Common Core: A Disaster for Libraries, A Disaster for Language Arts, A

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PB.pdf Accessed 10 Apr. 2017

Loveless, Tom. Measuring Effects of The Common Core. Brookings. The Brookings

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Race To The Top. Truth In American Education, 2017.

https://truthinamericaneducation.com/race-to-the-top/

Race to the Top Fund. U.S. Department of Education, 6 June 2016.

https://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html

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