Educators feel underprepared for CCSS

While different states have their own deadlines for the full implementation of the Common Core State Standards, many are required to have the CCSS in place by the 2014-2015 academic year, when many schools will begin administering tests designed by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium or the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, which are aligned with the Common Core.

Many states' individual implementation deadlines were set some time ago, and  school officials could not anticipate how challenging certain aspects of the transition would be. As a result, some educators do not feel as though they are ready to provide instruction that is aligned with the CCSS.

Louisiana lawmakers want to hit the brakes
A four-hour hearing recently took place in Louisiana involving John C. White, the state superintendent of education, Chas Roemer, president of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and local lawmakers, The Associated Press reported. During the session, lawmakers said many teachers throughout Louisiana are not ready for the CCSS.

"Teachers and principals feel that they are not prepared to go to Common Core," Rep. Barbara Norton told the news source.

Norton was among the lawmakers who criticized the roll-out process for the Standards. Overall, they cited insufficient training, guidance and funding as problems associated with the transition to CCSS-aligned curricula.

Trouble in California
In California, many educators are struggling through the CCSS implementation process for a variety of reasons. One is tied to the lack of understanding some teachers possess regarding the transition, according to The Fresno Bee. Eva Ruiz, president of the Fresno Teachers Association highlighted this and other issues when she spoke to the news source.

"I think our teachers have a great understanding of what Common Core is," said Ruiz. "What teachers don't have a great understanding of is how our district wants us to fully implement it when there's no materials, no curriculum."

If teachers truly are struggling through the CCSS implementation process, school officials should take a second look at their approach to transitioning to the Standards. It is essential for instructors to be prepared for the Common Core. If they are not, students are unlikely to reap the potential rewards of receiving more rigorous instruction.