Rethinking Schools "The Problems with the Common Core" by Stan Karp

 Why the Common Core Doesn’t Work: What Stan Karp Wants Us to Know

In his article “The Problems with the Common Core,” Stan Karp explains why the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are not really helping schools in the way they were supposed to. Many people thought the Common Core would fix big problems in education, but Karp says it has actually made some things worse. He believes the standards were created without listening to teachers, and they focus too much on testing, give too much power to big companies, and ignore real problems like inequality in schools.

One of Karp’s biggest concerns is that teachers were left out when the Common Core was made. Instead of asking teachers what would work best for students, the standards were written by people from testing companies and private groups. This means the people who actually teach students every day had no say. Because of this, the Common Core often doesn’t work well in real classrooms.

Karp also talks about the influence of big money and politics in pushing the Common Core. Groups like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation gave a lot of money to promote the standards. The government even offered extra funding to states if they agreed to use the Common Core. Karp says this is a problem because it puts control of education in the hands of rich companies and away from schools and communities. In other words, schools were being told what to do by people who don’t really know their students.

Another issue Karp points out is how the Common Core is linked to too much testing. With the new standards came new, harder tests. These tests are used to judge students, teachers, and schools. Karp says this has made schools focus more on test prep than real learning. Teachers feel pressured to "teach to the test," and students are stressed out. Instead of helping students think deeply or be creative, the system turns classrooms into places where passing the test is all that matters.

Karp also explains that standards don’t solve unfairness in schools. The Common Core expects all students to meet the same goals, but not all schools have the same resources. Poorer schools may not have enough teachers, books, or technology. Simply giving all students the same standards doesn’t help if they don’t have the same support. Real fairness, Karp says, means giving every student what they need, not just holding them to the same expectations.

A law student at a social justice event was quoted in the article, stating, "Colorblindness is the new racism."  This speaks to the Common Core agenda as well. The problem with colorblindness is that it may seem like equality, but it actually hides racism by ignoring how race shapes people's experience. It invalidates the lived realities of people of color. True equity comes from recognizing and responding to racial differences, not denying them. It doesn’t make sense to hold students accountable to the same unrealistic standards. While reading this article, I thought of one big issue with the Common Core for my MLL students: everything is really focused on using advanced English. The students are expected to read tough texts, write long answers, and explain their thinking clearly, and that’s hard if you're still learning English. The standards also kind of assume that every student learns the same way and at the same speed, which just isn’t true. Some students need more time or different kinds of help. And when it comes to testing, everything’s in English, even if you’re not fluent yet. That means your score might not really show how much you know—it might just show how much English you’ve learned so far.

Lastly, Karp says the way the Common Core was put in place too quickly caused more problems. Many teachers didn’t get the training they needed, and schools didn’t get enough time to adjust. This led to confusion and frustration. Karp believes real change in schools takes time, teamwork, and trust—none of which happened with the Common Core.

Karp is not against having strong standards or high goals for students. What he’s saying is that good education should come from the ideas of teachers and communities, not just from big companies or the government. He believes the best way to improve schools is to listen to teachers, support students, and focus on fairness for everyone.

In the end, Stan Karp helps us see that the Common Core missed the mark. It didn’t include the voices of educators, it increased stress with testing, and it didn’t fix the deeper problems that affect students every day. If we want better schools, we need to trust teachers, give schools the tools they need, and make sure every student has a fair chance to succeed.

More links to look at:

https://www.pacificresearch.org/common-core-has-failed-americas-students/

https://www.institute4learning.com/2018/04/26/12-reasons-the-common-core-is-bad-for-americas-schools/