Letter: Reject the Common Core curriculum for schools

I would like to respectfully disagree with David Wiley's My View opinion of the Common Core ("Utah should adopt the Common Core," April 26). His first accusation that those who are against the Common Core are "thoroughly unqualified to judge the quality of the standards." I have been in meetings with teachers and very educated professionals who all disagree with the Common Core.

I am sorry that he does not feel that parents are qualified to decide what their children are being taught. He is right in the fact that no one is saying the Common Core standards, as written, are worse than what we already have in Utah. However, I am sorry that he is missing the point.

Parents don't want to give up local control of schools. Once you give up a freedom it is nearly impossible to get it back. If the Common Core curriculum is so wonderful, then why are several states staying out because they already have higher standards? Why can't Utah join them if it is only about having better standards?

Unfortunately, Wiley is very wrong about Utah's Common Core math standards giving us access to a "nationwide market of commercial and noncommercial innovations." Since Utah decided to take on the International Common Core Standards rather then the Traditional Common Core Standards, Utah is a lone state in the way our secondary schools will teach math.

Textbooks are still being written and teachers are not fully aware of how to even teach the new core. I really feel sorry for any student that moves out of state (or into our great state) because they will have no way of knowing what math class to take somewhere else. So much for increased portability. We thought No Child Left Behind was bad — put your seat belts on and get ready for the ride of the Common Core.

Grace Rex

Orem