As I’ve been reading people’s responses to the reevaluation of the Common Core standards for the state of North Dakota, it has become abundantly clear to me that many people really don’t know what Common Core is or even what they are celebrating. They seem to believe that the fundamental roots of the problems in education are going to change for North Dakota and that some major victory has been won. However, as we will see, for the most part it is not the Common Core that many are dissatisfied with, but rather companion initiatives and programs that are associated with it. To this end, let’s explore some of the “wins” that many of the opponents to Common Core are celebrating:

“Win #1” – The end of that ridiculous new math. Many people seem to think that the new methods of looking at and teaching math are going to vanish now that Common Core is being reevaluated. However, this new teaching method is not directly tied to the Common Core. Math instruction, regardless of the standards being followed, is a changing field as teachers strive to create better systems through which students can think and reason. The old instruction methods are just not adequate for today’s learners. Regardless of new standards that are chosen, the component that says students need to be able to interact with numbers in a variety of ways will remain. “New math” is here to stay.

“Win #2” – We have defeated state testing! Nope. We haven’t. State testing is not going away. While the Smarter Balanced rollout was tough, any time you switch systems there is going to be turbulence. It’s important to note that Smarter Balanced state testing is not Common Core. In fact, there are already talks with the Smarter Balanced Consortium to create the standardized tests for the new set of North Dakota state standards when they are created. It’s not going away. Even if the state were to move away from Smarter Balanced, it will use something else as a measure. Standardized testing is here to stay.

“Win #3” – Teachers will finally be free to teach how they want. Teachers have always been free to teach how they want. Common Core is merely a set of standards. The methods teachers use to approach these standards and instruct their students has always been up to individual schools and teachers. This is the difference between curriculum and standards. Curriculum is the how of teaching. It’s the lessons and methodology used. It’s projects, tests, papers, etc. Standards are the skills that need to be developed through curriculum. For example, if a standard says that students should be able to support what they are saying with research, this could be accomplished in a number of ways. One teacher might have the students write a research paper that includes quotes. Another might have students bring in magazines and show the class articles while talking about them. A third might have students interview experts and create a tv or radio news report. Each of these methods meets the standard and they are all very different.

Whether you do or do not support the Common Core standards, the truth is that fundamentally, most of the arguments against Common Core are not going away because the arguments are mostly not even about the standards themselves. Standards are important for public schools because they provide a guide for students’ learning and avoid the “educational lottery.” In this lottery, a teacher in one room can teach a single piece of content, such as poetry, for an entire semester and never touch on foundational skills while a teacher in another room could be addressing multiple skill areas using a variety of mediums. Children in a school like this have to face the luck of the draw and may end up with a great education or a single sided one. Nobody wants their child in a lottery school. Standards help prevent this from happening because they provide a guide through which teachers must address fundamental skills, thus ensuring that all students get an excellent education.

As North Dakota engages in the reevaluation of our standards, we must be supportive and understanding. In a recent Gallup Poll, 89 percent of North Dakota residents rated the educational system in our state as being excellent/good. This is the highest satisfaction rate in the country. We have a tremendous amount of trust in our teachers and educational system. As we move forward with the standards reevaluation, I believe that this trust will be repaid with standards that will enable students to continue succeeding in our ever-changing world.

Jacob Jenkins is a teacher at Minot Public Schools – Central High School. He holds a B.S. in English Education, a B.A. in Theatre Arts, an M.A. in English, an M.A. in Secondary Educational Leadership, and is currently working on completing his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership K-12 through the University of North Dakota. The views and opinions expressed in this column do not represent the views and opinions of Minot Public Schools or of the Minot Daily News. If you would like to ask questions, to suggest a topic to write on, or to contact Jacob Jenkins, please email him at: jjenkins@minotdailynews.com