The Common Core: How Effective is it?

The Common Core State Standards present issues simply by existing. The CCSS have been adopted by the majority of states yet are still debated each day. 

I believe that the standards, as they are, are definitely helpful when it comes to putting together curriculum. Knowing what objective I am aiming for each day has been largely beneficial in creating meaningful lesson plans in my own practicum placement. I believe common core is a useful tool, but I do not feel that it should be as largely focused on as it is. 

Although the CCSS is helpful is finding a focal objective for a unit, there are many areas wherein it lacks. 

CCSS is helpful is in focusing a lesson, but not in constructing it. I may be told that 10th graders must be able to cite strong in a paper but am not instructed on how to do so. For more veterans teachers, this flexibility is good and allows for multiple ways to instruct. As a new teacher, however, I am left with strict objectives and no way to achieve them. This is an overwhelming prospect. An end goal without a path is terrifying. To add to this, there is no clear way for me to show the state that my students have reached the goals set for them aside from state testing. Testing effective at showing where a student is but only at the very end of the year. Even when a teacher creates an effective way to teach students to an objective, this is really only effective for students with typical needs. Students who are especially bright run through objectives much more quickly and those with more needs are left behind. The CCSS does not address students with behavioral and cognitive deficiencies. I do recognize that there are other resources accessible to teachers for how to handle a myriad of students, but with the over emphasis on Common Core, it is often daunting to stray away to any other resources.