Mathematics Education: Where To Start?

We've all heard some variation of this argument over the last two years...

[A response to Jay P. Greene's blog post Rick Hess Nails National Standards on Their Stealth Strategy]

"Without ‘national standards’ the USA will continue to fail as if they were 50 different nations. Some in the north east will do well but the ones that must improve refuse to admit they have a problem.

The illiterate states must be told you have ten years to get your population to the Massachusetts level of reading and math. Your standards must be at that level grade by grade.

Is this one powerful nation or 50 little backwater countries?"

If he's trying to say that we could have challenged our sovereign states to improve achievement up to the level of Massachusetts within the next ten years, then I would say "EXACTLY - I DEFINITELY AGREE!"

On the other hand, if he's trying to imply that Common Core Standards are as good as Massachusetts standards (were prior to CC) then he's wrong. Both the Math and Language Arts Common Core standards are WEAK!! (you can find a plethora of info on that from MA's own Pioneer Institute)

The 50 sovereign United States are not in any way, shape or form "backwater countries"

IN FACT THEIR SOVEREIGNTY IS THE REASON

THAT AMERICA IS A POWERFUL NATION!!

This might be a good time to read a little more about that...

http://www.whatwouldthefoundersthink.com/national-common-core-standards

Closing the Door on Innovation: Why One National Curriculum is Bad for America

Education to Raise Technology Consumers Instead of Technology Creators

Rick Hess

http://educationnext.org/is-anybody-up-for-defending-the-common-core-math-standards/

http://educationnext.org/keeping-an-eye-on-state-standards/

Bill Evers

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