Dr. Sandra Stotsky presents a heavily editorialized non-research based argument dated 26JAN2013.
She misses the point that CCSS has, at its heart, to simplify the standards. These standards repeat skills from Elementary to MS, from MS to HS.
Some of these skills deal with facts and ideas, sequencing, author’s purpose, comparing/contrasting, main idea and details, making inferences and generalizations and identifying literary elements (characters, plot, setting, structure). Some of which Dr. Stotsky needs to review for paragraph 5 of her article.
CCA students are being taught to the CCSS. This has proven successful based on the most recent round of standardized tests at the elementary level. Her presumption that Common Core State Standards exist to fail students is erroneous and foolish (paragraph 6).
As for Paragraph 7, Dr. Stotsky needs to go back to school. Standards are not lesson plans, nor are they curriculum maps. They are standards to which these devices should guide instruction throughout the school year.
It appears that Dr. Stotsky is a blind apologist for the old way. The way that dropped American student achievement to levels below Poland, New Zealand, Belgium and the like. U.S. students ranked just above Hungary, Slovakia and Russia.
http://www.ed.gov/blog/2010/12/international-education-rankings-suggest-reform-can-lift-u-s/
http://www.ibtimes.com/us-17th-global-education-ranking-finland-south-korea-claim-top-spots-901538
Her bent toward classical education has blinded her to the necessity of change.
Ozolnieks 