The Common Core Standards for English and Mathematics, created by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association with encouragement from the Obama administration, may become national benchmarks for all K-12 students. Open for public opinion, the draft standards are a product of almost a year's worth of work, by April 2.
Most experts agree that the draft standards look pretty good. The standards are written in plain English, and the goals they set seem reasonable: For example, they say that kindergartners should learn to count, first-graders should be able to retell a story, and third-graders should learn fractions. Jack O'Connell, California Secretary of Education, called the standards 'rigorous.' These standards are to be the international benchmarks that are to help American students fight for tomorrow's global, mobile jobs.
