Common Core- Parents have concerns

As we discussed in class last Wednesday, common core makes it hard for students to grasp material that doesn't relate to their world or reference ideas they are familiar with. Erica mentioned names used in word problems, and Oscar mentioned types of fruit or animals problems referred to. It becomes hard for students to understand the basic vocabulary of these word problems without trying to figure out how to solve them. As the article, "New math standards a hurdle for students and some teachers" mentioned, parents are becoming concerned with their child's failure in math due to these standards. They don't understand how their student who did so well before in math could suddenly be failing or lacking the skills needed to perform the necessary tasks. I feel that many of my parents are concerned in the same ways. They don't understand that these new math standards require a different level of thinking from their child and students are responsible for using different skills. I also agree with the article when it states that teachers need more time to be trained properly. That was my argument last week. Teaching according to common core is totally doable if the necessary training is provided and ample time is given in order for teachers to prepare and plan accordingly. If teachers are not fully competent in the new material then they should not be able to teach it to their students. And I find many teachers at my school who are not trained or knowledgeable enough in certain subject areas teaching students material in the wrong manner . Some don't think it is a big deal while others simply don't care enough.