Dive Brief:
- While rolling out Common Core standards, California generated widespread public support and had a relatively easy time, while New York's own rollout sparked controversy, protests, and problems.
- Despite the fact that both states are heavily Democratic and have strong teacher unions, only New York faced major difficulties — and the speed at which the state tried to implement new standards is at the center of blame for the problems.
- Another factor is that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo decided to face the wrath of teacher unions by linking standardized test results to teacher evaluations, a move that generated controversy and, some say, eventually led to the state's decision to re-evaluate and "re-boot" Common Core.
Dive Insight:
California's teacher unions support Common Core, while New York's do not. The link between teacher evaluations and student test scores certainly plays a significant role, driving up the stakes and putting a great amount of pressure on educators. But now that the Every Student Succeeds Act has passed and loosened the reins on federal mandates — especially as it pertains to linking student performance — more states are set to reconsider their evaluation approaches. Though it's not yet clear if New York will abandon Common Core, such a move is possible.