Nev. wrestling with Common Core education
By Paul Takahashi, Las Vegas Sun
Three years after Nevada adopted the Common Core State Standards, proponents and critics faced off in a 10-hour legislative showdown over whether the new academic benchmarks will help or hurt students in the Silver State.
For months, dozens of concerned citizens and parents have been protesting the Common Core at legislative committee hearings on education, prompting lawmakers to devote one of its meetings to debate the pros and cons of the new standards.
The Common Core, which has been adopted by 44 states nationally, was developed by a panel of academics convened by governors and state school superintendents to replace a hodgepodge of state standards.
The national standards represent one of the most significant changes in American education — one that is transforming textbooks, teacher training and testing.
