Common core wouldn't have been quite as bad had they only implemented the standards at the kindergarten level first. Education has taken a shit in this country, especially at the college level. Cannot believe the number of chemists that have passed through with no ability to problem solve or think outside the box.
PS Common Core is a disaster if your goal is to provide the skills for an efficient human.
In math I understand the skills they are trying to teach but two problems.......
A. They are too cute by half in thinking they are teaching the foundation for a deeper understanding of math that more experienced users resort to or figure on their own.
B. There are basic truths in math that dont need to be "deeply understood" but kids through memorization should involuntarily spout out when asked. Memorization was looked at as "bad" because it was just "memorization" without understanding.
What A and B have done is that if I ask my 12 or 13 year old "What is 7x8?".......
Instead of them reflexively and enthusiastically shouting "56" because they were taught rote memorization backed up by "timed" tests that force them to make this knowledge reflexive......
I get glazed eyes and I can see the gears slowly turning in their heads as they think "Well 7 plus 7 is 14. Plus 7 is 21. Plus 7 is 28......"
Fuck by the time they figure it out Ive kicked them out of the 30-06 supply line and they can go fill their 7 M1 Garand enblocs with vienna sausage as far as I care.
Loss of text books because they are too expensive, dependence on computers, bias against memorization, failure to teach kids organization through outlining, failure to promote note taking as one of the four steps to deep learning imbedding - you need to hear it, you need to read it, you need to write it down, you need to study it - our money given to public education is wasted, even more so now in cv19.
Im falling back on survival skills can you field hygiene? Do you shit in the woods? Can you cook over a fire?
I hope they opt for trade school - it served me well even though I dont work trades - wouldnt change a thing.