How the Common Core changes everything It’s well established
that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)—adopted in principle
by forty-six states—won’t get any real traction unless they’re
comprehensively and faithfully implemented at the state and
local levels. (They also have implications for federal policy
and programs, of course.) What we've heard about the Common
Core's impact is just the tip of the iceberg . Photo by Natalie
Lucier. But what is comprehensive implementation? True, we’ve
heard much palaver about what the Common Core portends for
assessment, for teachers’ professional development, and for
curricular/instructional materials. All true, all crucial, and
all probably the most urgent. But these issues are also just the
tip of the CCSS iceberg, most of which remains invisible under
water. What I haven’t seen yet is clear recognition that the
Common Core, taken seriously, eventually changes everything in
American education and that implementation, done right, must be
comprehensive. Which means wh