We all know to-
day’s kids are liv-
ing in a different
world than when
we went to school,
especially in terms
of technology. To
reach them, we must engage them in
ways we never thought of or imagined.
The benchmarks we use in assessing our academic achievement have
long been an evolving endeavor. The
most recent iteration of this endeavor—
the Common Core State Standards
(CCSS)—allows us to implement a
common language of concepts across
all states that are aligned to modern
knowledge and responsive to the needs
of this century.
But most people, including many of
my colleagues, are not sure what the
standards represent, other than something to be tested on. The CCSS lay the
foundation for students to successfully
navigate adulthood and become lifelong
learners. The standards touch literacy
and key components in math, English,
and science. Mastering them empowers students to read, comprehend, solve
problems, and explore. They reflect
where we are now and the concepts digital age children need to be successful.
The Common Core has numerous
goals, but a primary objective is to ensure equity in education nationwide.
This will address the concerns of a mobile workforce and help level the playing
field for all graduating students.
The Common Core reinforces the
skills of problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity, which are only
secondary in our present educational
system. The CCSS are all about matching critical concepts to practical skills.
They go past the traditional pedagogy
that has promoted almost exclusively
rote memorization of textbook-based
learning to an applied, exploratory, and
student-engaged educational mindset.
The Common Core is not the only
driver of educational transformation,
but it is the benchmark. As education
struggles to re-tool, re-think, and re-envision its future, it is important to
have tools and standards that realistically reflect progress. They give us the
power to turn schools into laboratories
pointcounterpoint
Can the Common
Core prepare
students for their
careers? Well, al-
most anything is
possible. But edu-
cators have more
fundamental questions to worry about:
1. Should the primary goal of the
Common Core be to prepare students for their future careers?
2. Is the Common Core better at
preparing students for their future
careers than other approaches?
Career preparation is just one among
many goals of education and arguably
not the most important. Other goals of
equal or greater importance include:
• Preparing an informed citizenry,
capable of reasoned debate about
issues concerning the common
good of the nation and state
• Preparing children to be respon-
sible, resilient, compassionate,
and engaged members of a world
community faced with mitigat-
ing the effects of global climate
change
• Turning students into lifelong
scholars with a love of intellectual
inquiry and creative expression
• Eradicating poverty and hun-
ger, promoting gender equality,
reducing child mortality and
promoting maternal health, and
combating life-threatening dis-
eases (UNESCO, bit.ly/fnN4QX)
The list could go on. I believe that an
emphasis on preparing students for the
world of work neglects a larger world
view of adulthood, and that as a result,
too many people end up in unfulfilling
jobs, perpetuating an uncritical view of
capitalism that serves the needs of busi-
ness and industry over those of learners.
Even if one accepts the assumption
that the primary goal of U.S. education
is preparation for future careers, as a
new endeavor, Common Core is untest-
ed. Sure, as a program developed by the
states (not the federal government, as
is commonly asserted), components of
the program have been tried in various
parts of the country. Yet a program with
such a wide geographic reach is new for
the United States. There is simply no
YES
NO
Can the Common Core Prepare Students for Future Careers?
