Do you understand what the Common Core Curriculum is? Why was it implemented in the education system or how does it work? The Common Core Curriculum is a set of expectations set for grades kindergarten through 12th grade in all aspects of mathematics, reading, and writing. This is a program that has been adopted by 46 states and began implementation here in Arkansas in 2010 (Pullmann, The). Like any educational program, once students have learned something, they are then tested on their knowledge of the topic. A common core was created because students in the United States of America are not as advanced in math, reading, or writing as they should be. These standards show where students should be at each grade level, and the tests provided should be the tool to measure this. The new guidelines were developed by the National Governors Association NGA and the Council of Chief State School Officers CCSSO (Pullman, The). Unfortunately, the common core state standards are only a temporary distraction. Students have a wide range of educational needs and all aspects should be examined, processed and corrected accordingly. Focusing solely on math and English language arts creates a disadvantage for our youth. Understanding that these are subjects of great importance, our children miss out on other foundations of learning. The Common Core State Standard creates additional pressure on teachers, puts our students at a real disadvantage, and eliminates parental involvement from our students' education. Teachers are our hidden gems. Even if not treated as such, they represent a neglected and undervalued resource. In my opinion, there are three types of teachers: the motivated teacher with a passion to educate students, the one... middle of paper... repeats himself. With the new standards our children may take a test that seems confusing and may even feel a little discouraged feeling like they have no knowledge of the subject when in reality they do/Is this why the Common Core was created? To make our children feel defeated? My daughter recently told me she no longer thought school was fun. In my opinion, all this common core standard really did was emphasize testing and de-emphasize the actual learning part. The creators have taken the fun out of learning, and if they believe this is preparing students for future college endeavors, they may want to consider some alternative standards before 2020, before college enrollment is dramatically reduced to near zero ! That would be the year my daughter and most of the early Common Core Standards students graduate.