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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2010 > March > 19 > Entry
Editorial: There are some things all kids should know
A controversial idea in education is back in a form that just might work for Ohio and the nation.
The “common core” idea promotes basic standards about what students should learn in English, math, social studies and science — the core subjects.
The notion that basic expectations should be consistent across the nation doesn’t sound especially divisive. In fact, though, there are camps passionately in favor and against the idea.
To many conservatives — including those who are critical of public education and who believe there are basics in every subject that every child should know — the idea of the federal government telling local schools what to teach is heretical.
On the other side, some liberal groups have pushed to require states to ensure every student is taught at least to a minimum level in the major subjects. Former President Bill Clinton was a huge proponent of national standards and a national test to measure how well kids are measuring up. He abandoned the effort in the face of a backlash from the states.
To get around the political minefield, this time the call for standards, cleverly, has been led by the states. Through the National Governors Association, 48 states have joined an effort to jointly write common standards. Ohio and Gov. Ted Strickland have been strong supporters of the idea, with a handful of Ohioans playing key roles crafting the draft standards that were just released for math and English.
The goal is to finalize those standards this summer in anticipation of the participating states adopting them soon after.
A decade ago, Ohio’s own standards were not well regarded. The Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, in a national review of state standards, rated Ohio a D+ in 2002. But things have changed. Last year, in its annual report on standards, Education Week gave Ohio an A. Others are not as high on Ohio’s approach, but there is agreement that the state has come a long way in the past decade.
The “common core” draft standards are getting some good reviews. Adopting them, which Ohio is likely to do, would help ensure Ohio is keeping up with what’s happening nationally. At that level, it’s hard to dilute standards and have the effort go unnoticed.
The “common core” could have a dramatic impact on the states — and the kids — in need of the most help. If everyone gets on board with bringing their systems to the same high standard, millions of students could really benefit.
Of course, if all this comes together, then the natural next question is which states are doing the best job of getting kids to learn at the level expected in the new standards? Answering that question probably would require some sort of national test.
Better leave that battle for another day.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: Editorials, Education, Scott Elliott
Comments
By joe_mamma
March 19, 2010 9:23 AM | Link to this
Anytime you impose standards in a top down method like this you are going to get involved in politics and of course end up turning the education of our children over to government bureaucrats. Amazingly….Harvard, MIT, UD, WSU and any parochial K-12 schools are able to devise their own academic standards without their governors or the Federal Government telling them what to teach.
By what?
March 19, 2010 11:59 AM | Link to this
The question is why were basic standards, if they were, abandoned in the first place? Have thirty years of experimental education initiatives by the Department of Education significantly improved test scores nationwide? If not, why is there a Department of Education?
By Dave
March 19, 2010 12:36 PM | Link to this
Joe_Mamma, you obviously have never been involved with a school when it it getting its acreditation renewed.
By aguyindayton
March 19, 2010 4:56 PM | Link to this
I think core education is great; uniformity across the nation. The colleges and Parochial schools mentioned do not have to contend with students that do not want to learn; they are “booted” out. Even with all the money pledged to education; I have not heard the plan for the students that do not want to participate. We continue to assume that all students have the desire and ability to graduate; NCLB. That just “ain’t” the real world.
By aguyindayton
March 19, 2010 4:57 PM | Link to this
I think core education is great; uniformity across the nation. The colleges and Parochial schools mentioned do not have to contend with students that do not want to learn; they are “booted” out. Even with all the money pledged to education; I have not heard the plan for the students that do not want to participate. We continue to assume that all students have the desire and ability to graduate; NCLB. That just “ain’t” the real world.
By IT'S GREAT IN DAYTON!!
March 20, 2010 10:23 AM | Link to this
For Dayton Public Schools, core curriculum should include instructing the children on the best ways to leave Dayton.
By LARRY FLYNT: A TRUE DAYTONIAN
March 20, 2010 9:58 PM | Link to this
I’ve developed a sex-ed curriculum, complete with video, that I’d like to share with everybody that has a major credit card.
By Philman
March 21, 2010 4:58 AM | Link to this
Ellen You think Outcome based education was a success, and school to work was good for America, the only thing Clinton did for the kids was RAISE the number of Gonherea of the throat cases.he was in the teachers union pocket just like Obama,read your own paper and see what the Charters are doing.
By fortressdayton
March 21, 2010 11:08 AM | Link to this
If there are no nationwide standards, then why have statewide standards. But then, why stop there? Let’s get rid of all standards…even at the county and city level. And then all of kids can be free to learn whatever their parents tell them…like how dinosaurs and fossils never existed. Yeah, that’s the kind of freedom we need just about now. Standards are necessary, even for charter (where my kid goes) and for home-schoolers.
By Ben
March 22, 2010 12:41 PM | Link to this
The objective of schooling is to prepare students to either enter the work force or go on to higher education - where the objective should be the same - to get a job! Therefore, the standards should be written by businesses and by universities. There should be 2 tests - one to show the ability to enter the work force, and another to show the ability to go on for additional education. Without some sort of standard, and some sort of testing to verify the standard has been met, then the education process is rather pointless.
By Ben
March 22, 2010 12:43 PM | Link to this
The objective of schooling is to prepare students to either enter the work force or go on to higher education - where the objective should be the same - to get a job! Therefore, the standards should be written by businesses and by universities. There should be 2 tests - one to show the ability to enter the work force, and another to show the ability to go on for additional education. Without some sort of standard, and some sort of testing to verify the standard has been met, then the education process is rather pointless.
By Ben
March 22, 2010 12:45 PM | Link to this
The objective of schooling is to prepare students to either enter the work force or go on to higher education - where the objective should be the same - to get a job! Therefore, the standards should be written by businesses and by universities. There should be 2 tests - one to show the ability to enter the work force, and another to show the ability to go on for additional education. Without some sort of standard, and some sort of testing to verify the standard has been met, then the education process is rather pointless.
By IT'S GREAT IN DAYTON!!
March 23, 2010 9:48 AM | Link to this
How low would the standards have to be before DPS can meet them?———————-NUKE DPS————-