In her new book, bestselling author Mercedes Schneider provides little-known details about the history of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). She lifts the veil on the development of the Common Core, the individuals present in the back room, the push to copyright it so that test-makers could profit, and the urgency for governors to sign commitments before the standards were even completed. CCSS is publicized as being a state-led, teacher-developed approach guaranteed to ensure that all students are college- and career-ready. By the end of this eye-opening book, readers will come to understand the CCSS and its attendant assessments as something very different. Common Core Dilemma will appeal to readers across the political spectrum who want to better understand the role of corporations, nonprofits, big donors with strings attached, and the federal government in exercising control in our schools. It is essential reading for courses on education and government, and education and special interests. -- from back cover. Read more...
Introduction : The quandary of who owns America's schools --
Gradually leaving education behind : No Child Left Behind and its predecessors --
Achieve and its "common core of standards" master plan : part one --
Achieve and its "common core of standards" master plan : part two --
Playing in the Achieve sandbox : Education Trust and Fordham Institute --
The "state-led" lock-in : the Common Core memorandum of understanding --
The invisible architects and visible PR machine : student achievement partners --
America, "stay the course" (don't remove that noose) : the Common Core surveys --
NGA and CCSSO : legal owners of Common Core --
Bill Gates likes the idea --
Arne wants in : Common Core and the race to the top --
Those "powerful market forces" : Pearson wins --
Conclusion : So what have we learned here? --
Glossary of key individuals, organizations, and terms.
