Schools

Tell Us What's Wrong With Common Core

We asked readers what they like least about Common Core; share your thoughts on our new open blog.

At recent forums and school board meetings across the state, parents and educators have slammed Common Core.

A total of 45 states, including New York, have adopted the Common Core Standards Initiative, which focus on the subjects of math and English language arts.

From the difficulty and rigor of the work to the effects it is having on both students and teachers, Common Core is huge topic of debate at the moment. With that in mind, we asked Patch readers what they like least about Common Core. 

Here's a few of the responses:

Stephanie Coates Pelc: They are taking the parents out of the equation. We can't help them with the homework because we did not learn Common Core. It is frustrating for the child AND the parent.

Kathy Sabanos Podair: The Math curriculum for my first and sixth graders has no text book, no workbook, no resources for parents, i.e. website to refer to. Your child is expected to take comprehensive notes in class to look back on when going homework. But out kids haven't been TAUGHT how to take good notes. Every Math concept is presented in a word problem. If your child is not a strong reader, they are at a HUGE disadvantage with the "New Math". This curriculum was not created by teachers with classroom experience. It is written in language far beyond the comprehension of a middle schooler.

Maria Richiusa Colombo: We are very upset about CC this year. I'm a mother of 4 children and homework is a nightmare every single night! First teach the children the basics and then once they have developed a strong understanding, then you move on to this kind of math. I have a 6th grader who always did well in math and now feels that he is terrible at it. I have a 5th grader who is very stressed out and has developed chronic stomach aches, I have a 2nd grader who is still learning how to spell, read and write and has always needed help in math so common core has just made things worse and I have a kindergartner who thankfully is doing ok with my help. This was not a well thought out plan. Our children are suffering and parents are stressed out and feel helpless. Parents should have had a part in the decision making here.

JoAnne Zeibaq Romanelli: The curriculum doesn't bother me as much as the HOURS of testing that these kids go through.

Liz Fitts Natale: My once happy always smiling daughter comes home from school anxious & stressed. She cries about going to school, makes herself sick & thinks she is not smart because she doesn't understand it.

Eddie Haeffer: ... my son has missed one day of school in four years, and that's only because my wife went into labor with our daughter early in the morning and we couldn't get him to school. With the excessive testing and homework he doesn't want to go to school anymore, it's a very sad day when you have a kid that loved to go to school not wanting to be there anymore, Common Core needs to go.

We'd love to hear your take on Common Core or any other school-related topic on our new Kings Park School Forum blog. 


Sharing is easy. Visit the blog here and click on the open text box under the heading to create a post. 

Or, from the homepage, follow these steps:

  • Sign in to your Patch. (Click “Join” if you don’t have an account yet.)
  • Click the "Blogs" tab, near the top of the homepage and then locate the Kings Park School Forum blog in the left-hand column. Click on it.
  • Click in the box that says, “Write a new post” and then click on “Article” at the top.
  • Give your post a headline, enter the body of the story and upload any photos you want.
  • Click “Post now.”


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