Common-core-ism

My brother-in-law started up a conversation at my step son's birthday party yesterday about common core. Parents hate it. Kids don't understand it. Teachers seem split on whether they hate or love it. It's been a big topic since it appeared.

The math, specifically, has copped a LOT of fame around the internet for its ludicrous word problems.

It doesn't really matter how you say it, the answer is always wrong.

I've seen my eleven year old niece's homework. And at 31 years old, with an IQ around 140, and a college education, I couldn't make heads nor tails of it.

Gibberish

 Personally, this worries me far beyond not being able to help my kids with their homework. I have two reasons this garbage math is a major concern.

For one, it's causing a huge gap between the generations. If I can't help my children with their homework for lack of understanding what the heck they're talking about then they will have to turn somewhere else for assistance. I don't like that at all. It's the role of the parents to pass along knowledge. This common core bullshit is taking that away from me. I'm no psychologist but I'd imagine that could put all kinds of nasty things between my children and I. Like lack of respect. Let a kid think they know better than their parent on one subject and that kid will assume they know better on any subject. Chaos may ensue.

Younger kids believe their parents know everything, and in many cases that simple belief is the only reason they choose to obey rules laid down for their safety and well being. When I can't even tell them how (let alone WHY) to do their homework correctly that slaps a dose of doubt into their supple little minds and that doubt could easily creep into their heads when they're not allowed to play near traffic. 'Cuz Mama can't even figure out second grade math, what could she know about traffic, the idiot!

But even worse than the thought of my children doubting me is the thought that they're being groomed as quiet, obedient little sheep who answer to Uncle Sam and never Mama. (Woah, crazy, where are you going with this conspiracy theory? Ok, hear me out...)

In my day the teacher didn't give a crap about HOW you got there, only that your answer is correct. (Unless how you got there was copying off your friend's paper). Now they don't care if your answer is correct, only that you got that answer using the same method as everyone else.

The focus of education has shifted from doing it right to doing it their way.

What the ?!$&*!!

So my brother-in-law was saying that he understands Common Core because that's the way he would figure out how to get the answer, and I explained that way makes no sense to me, I'd remember it this other way. But we would both arrive at the same answer. So my question is why does the "how" matter? We all learn differently and we all remember things differently.

Common Core is teaching our children that it's not OK to be different. (While schools are struggling with a "bully epidemic" they're teaching intolerance of diversity!

The "man" is actively teaching our youth to shut up and obey. To keep their heads down and never think outside the box they're assigned to. The herd is easier to control that way. (Did you ever watch Divergent?)

Makes you think...
(Unless they already boxed you in!)