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Correcting FiveThirtyEight: “How Arne Duncan Lost the Common Core and His Legacy”
Yesterday, FiveThirtyEight published a largely inaccurate piece about the adoption of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and what it means for the Obama Administration’s legacy and Common Core.
The article by Ben Weider implies that ESSA will undo Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s “signature policy changes” including wide implementation of Common Core State Standards.
Despite the article’s implication, Common Core State Standards were never Secretary Duncan’s to lose in the first place. They began as, and remain to this day, a state-initiated, state-led effort, not a federal one.
ESSA ensures that state education standards (whether Common Core or any other) continue to be left up to states to choose, adopt, and implement.
Also, contrary to the Weider’s suggestion, states overwhelmingly continue to voluntarily implement Common Core State Standards. After more than five years and two national elections, all but one state, Oklahoma, continue to use the Common Core, or a very similar set of standards.
ESSA will put to rest any concerns about federal overreach or pressure on states, which is a clarification welcomed and encouraged by supporters of the Common Core State Standards.
About the Collaborative for Student Success
At our core, we believe leaders at all levels have a role to play in ensuring success for K-12 students. From ensuring schools and teachers are equipped with the best materials to spotlighting the innovative and bold ways federal recovery dollars are being used to drive needed changes, the Collaborative for Student Success aims to inform and amplify policies making a difference for students and families.
To recover from the most disruptive event in the history of American public schools, states and districts are leveraging unprecedented resources to make sure classrooms are safe for learning, providing students and teachers with the high-quality instructional materials they deserve, and are rethinking how best to measure learning so supports are targeted where they’re needed most.