Easiest Way To Ease Concerns About Common Core Standards: Read Them, Huffman Says

Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman has been staunch in support of national Common Core standards, which have come under fire, primarily from conservatives. Credit: TN Photo Services via Flickr

Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman continues to spend time calming fears about national Common Core standards. Today he told county officials from around the state how to disarm those who – in his words – may be “misinformed.”

“The easiest way to demystify the Common Core state standards is just to actually read them. And think when you read them, it’s pretty much just a list of the kind of things you want your kids to be able to do.”

Under Common Core, fourth graders should no longer confuse words like the number two and the word “t-o.” Seventh graders are supposed to understand complex fractions.

Still, some county commissioners and school board members say they face resistance from parents. Common Core is being questioned on the state level as well.

Next month the legislature will hold a hearing on the math and reading standards, which are already being implemented.