Dive Brief:
- New research from the nonprofit education agency WestEd presented to the California Board of Education shows that while most California superintendents support the way Common Core standards were rolled out, many teachers do not.
- Teachers surveyed also had concerns over their principals’ instructional knowledge and capacity to lead the transition to the new standards, Ed Source reports.
- Many teachers also noted they felt like they lacked institutional support and professional guidance around Common Core from the state, and subsequently turned to online resources and lesson plans from colleagues.
Dive Insight:
In California, the roll out of Common Core standards was a breeze compared to other states, like New York. California enjoyed broad public support as well as support from teacher's unions, while New York's rollout sparked controversy, protests and problems. Both states are largely democratic.
For New York, problems seem to have emerged from the speed at which the state tried to implement new standards and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to link standardized test results to teacher evaluations. There, a task force created by the Governor has since recommended an "overhaul" of the Common Core system and "a total reboot." They've also released guidance around how better to enlist teachers and parents to help create state standards and tests, something that California seems to have had more success with. The divided opinions revealed by WestEd's survey between teachers and principals may similarly be bridged with better inclusivity and communication.