Dive Brief:
- California parents are pushing against the Common Core math benchmarks, fearful that slow pacing will keep students out of calculus classes that they consider a prerequisite for competitive college applications.
- The Common Core math benchmarks are tied to the saying "Go slow to go fast," meaning more time is spent on the basics in an attempt to make more complicated math easier.
- In some wealthy districts, like Palo Alto, two math tracks are being pushed: the Common Core track and an accelerated track.
Dive Insight:
While the San Jose Mercury News points to frustrations with the slow pacing, as well as scholars who applaud the new standards, there is another group of people not mentioned: those who feel frustrated with the Common Core math standards because of content. In August, UC-Berkeley math professor Marina Ratner investigated the Common Core math standards and vocalized her disappointment in what she sees as simplicity and lower expectations. Like the parents in the Mercury News article, Ratner was surprised by the fact that topics like calculus, pre-calculus, algebra II, and geometry were either removed, watered down, or pushed back to higher grades.