Boy Wonders: How Do You Solve Math Problem with Essay?
Alicia M. Cohn /
A second-grader in San Jose, Calif., knew how to find the difference on his math homework, but struggled to come up with answers for a “number sentence” and essay question that would square with new national education standards. So the boy offered the best response he could.
“I got the answer by talking in my brain and I agreed of [sic] the answer that my brain got,” the 7-year-old wrote on his homework, which was published by The Daily Caller.
It has become routine that parents and students express their dislike of the new Common Core national education standards by joining Facebook groups and calling their state representatives. Now, they increasingly sound off on homework handed in to teachers.
Earlier this month, Jeff Severt, who has an advanced engineering degree, wrote a note reassuring his son that he couldn’t understand the Common Core method applied to his math homework, either.
“The process used is ridiculous and would result in termination if used,” Severt wrote in the note signed “Frustrated Parent” that quickly went viral on Facebook.
Photo: The Patriot Post Facebook Page
Opponents of the Common Core standards pointed to Severt’s response as a striking overall critique, since proponents argue that the standards will improve students’ global job competitiveness.
The Common Core State Standards, as they are formally called, were developed by the bipartisan National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers and offered for adoption by the states in 2010. With the Obama administration g providing incentives for states to use them, the standards were quickly adopted by 46 states plus the District of Columbia as guidelines for academic achievement by grade.
Although the standards are in use across the country– sometimes in select grades or subjects, depending on the states–many states have paused or halted implementation because of pushback by critics, many of them parents concerned with the homework their children bring back from school.
This story was produced by The Foundry’s news team. Nothing here should be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of The Heritage Foundation.