In 2009, Common Core was implemented to help students reach certain educational standards in order to be prepared to succeed in the future. A lot of people don’t necessarily agree with these changes because they feel the standards are too “heavy handed” and actually complicate our educational system more. Business Insider says, “Our curriculum is going way too fast, and these students, we are losing them.” They further elaborated that “The Common Core also gets a lot of flak over what educators and parents described as, ‘its lack of consideration for non-traditional learners.’”

When asked about her feelings on Common Core, Tania Gomez, a freshman in Farmingdale High School, responded with “…Common core is very complex, I feel that it makes learning difficult. Of course education is important and they have a good system of teaching, but I don’t agree with being evaluated on how much I know based on one number on a test.” Tania’s opinion on Common Core is in line with what most of her generation would say,  due in part to the lack of understanding and learning Common Core has provided for them. Most students do not like how one test score determines how good they are in a class when often times these exams are very difficult and hard to comprehend.

Despite this, there are still others that would say otherwise. Ms. Cordelia Anthony, a teacher in Farmingdale High School, says that she agrees with the purpose of using Common Core but is not fond of the harsh testing. Ms. Michelle Angiulo, an ENL teacher at Farmingdale High School, also agrees with the concept of Common Core, but feels it needs to be redefined because the grammar can often be hard to understand. She also is not in agreement with the testing and the massive amount of work students receive. Teachers who pride themselves in ensuring their students are taking away something from their class, find it harder to make students understand and enjoy learning. In some schools, teachers that have their own strategies of teaching and new lessons are being told to teach only what is given in the curriculum.

Many people also say Common Core has taken the fun out of school because everything is scripted and has to be executed “by the book.” I find the system we are using to teach and assign grades to students ridiculous. Too much emphasis on a grade and teaching to the test makes students feel as though nothing else matters. We are teaching students that the only important thing to do in life, is exactly what is expected of them. Many parents also feel they can’t be helpful to their children since they aren’t familiar with the new terms and strategies being taught now. Parents feel helpless in their own children’s education.

Common Core can be seen in many different ways. However, any way you choose to look at it, Common Core has had a huge impact for the future education system and children’s behavior. Overall, Common Core is not benefitting student educational purposes and is not the most effective way or providing students with “the best preparation to succeed in the future.”