Marquin+Parks



Common Core State Standards. Hmmm. I like the plan of the CCSS. Somehow finding ways to make sure that students in one state are learning and expected to know the same material as a student from another state is important in this day and age.

Maybe this comes from how technology has brought us closer. Facebook. Twitter. Apple. Android. Bill Gates weaves in and out of Charter and Traditional public schools because all of us wouldn't turn down a significant contribution that saves us a penny. As long as he's giving out samples of his next product to get us all hooked, we're okay with being the testers that were lucky enough to get a handout hit of his potentent product.

Maybe CCSS are another way to make us think that the playing field is somehow leveling itself. It make me wonder what happens when I switch a few of the words in the CCSS. I wonder to myself, what is the State of our Common Core Standards? Meaning, where are we as a people in this nation and world? Is school the place for us all to find a common ground? How much of a role do I play in that when I'm very uncommon? So, when I think about how to get to tie CCSS into College Ready, I have to think about how I was prepared for college. Did my academic years prior to university life prepare me to have success? Was I mentally ready to handle life outside the classroom so that I could focus on life inside the classroom? Because if we're going to use these requirements to connect our students to being College Ready, then scholarship must lead to scholarships.

Maybe I'm just delusional and I need to step back and let the system work without judging anything. Yet, I can't help but think that this is another adjustment for education that will also be ousted in the next decade and we'll be back to the Acme Drawing board. I guess my beef lies somewhere between the fact that we aren't working on connecting with students to build relationships, and I don't see how much the CCSS will allow students with less resources to compete and be as successful. Now I'm not saying it is impossible for those with less resourcs to exceed and excel. What I'm saying is that for the standards to be the same, the resources for understanding and identifying need to be the same. Not just the same test on the same subjects, but the same technology, prerequisite knowledge acquisition ability, need to be equal. Otherwise, we're holding all students accountable while not ensuring that they all have the same resources needed to get the job done.

In regards to my thougts about building relationships with the students, I compare the role of an educator to the structure and requirements of the chefs on an episode of Chopped. Often we are presented a basket of items and we are required to quickly make something out of it. Our newest ingredient, the CCSS, begs us to ponder over which ingredient is most important. My job depends on me teaching to accomplish the CCSS, but my students may have other tastes. . Meanwhile, those that set the standards feel like the ingredients should be as easy to work with as they are on an episode of 5 Ingredient Fix. Wouldn't it be great if we could sprinkle math, literacy, science, and social studies on a student, put them in a crock pot in September, and have them ready in June? Unfortunately things aren't that easy. Instead, we are more like the chefs on Chopped that get that random basket of goodies

Perhaps, we should organize educational advancement like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. No, I am not saying this because the host drives a Super Sport and I have two of those in my garage. What I am saying is that we need to hit the road and find the diamonds in the rough that are working effectively. Because if the classroom is our own restaurant and we are the head chefs, isn't it important to have new documented recipies and effective ways of doing things? So, by going around the country and featuring effective teaching, we can pick and choose what works for our students. In addiiton, we as educators, can feel like someone is making their rounds to see the great things we are doing with students.