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The Story-Killers: A Common-Sense Case Against the Common Core
What is the Common Core? How will the Common Core English Standards affect the teaching of great stories in our schools? Will there be any great stories left in the minds of our children when the Common Core has controlled the curriculum and testing of both public and private schools for a few years? What are the real purposes behind the educational coup that has taken place with very little public debate and even less understanding? In this book, school reformer and professor Dr. Terrence Moore carefully examines both the claims made by the architects of the Common Core and the hidden agenda behind the so-called reforms that have been adopted by over forty states in the nation, with very few people understanding what is really going on. Moore not only challenges the illiberal aims of this educational regime, but actually analyzes lessons recommended in the Common Core English Standards and in the new textbooks bearing the Common Core logo. Such a thorough review exposes the absurdity, superficiality, and political bias that can only serve to dumb down the nation's schools. Worse, the means that the Common Core uses is a deliberate undermining of the great stories of our tradition, the stories that in former times trained the minds and ennobled the souls of young people. Those stories are now under attack, and the minds and souls of the nation's children are in peril.
292 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 15, 2013
Dr. Moore explained how both of my high school literature teachers taught. The older teacher taught in a way that inspired me to read and the younger teacher bored me to death. I always thought it was a lack of experience. Dr. Moore went decade by decade and showed how the teaching of literature changed. Each generation of teachers are taught less about the Socratic method and more ‘fill in the blank’ method. We are teaching less how to solve problems and more how to pass the standardized test.
July 31, 2020
An amazing book on the importance of making education fun and engaging rather than continuing to let it turn more and more into mindless indoctrination. I wish this was required reading for all teachers!
June 4, 2014
The author's issues with Common Core Literature and History content for high school are as follows:
- It's not true to what one would expect from a "core" curriculum. The standard covers a vast array of material in a shallow manner and does not deeply into the classics (especially because teachers will be teaching to the tests).
- Grave omission of Benjamin Franklin.
- Grave omission of the full text of the constitution.
- The common core makes judgements on past historical events and figures based on current knowledge and understanding.
- The common core does not do justice to the Founding Founders' achievement of crafting the American constitution. The constitution was drawn from thousands of years of human wisdom. The Common Core does not cover the philosophical footsteps the Founding Founders took. Without that, students can not understand the historical significance of the constitution and see it in the prism of its time.
- Many of the material covered can hardly be called literature and doubts that it would pass the test of time.
- Gives a liberal bias to students.
===
This book was quite enlightening for me in many ways. One thing I did not realize until I read this book was how my son's parochial school indeed had adopted the Common Core standard. It is useful for me to know as a non-American parent, raising American children, what a well educated American would find lacking in the standard. It seems that the author's main concern is that the Common Core does not properly pass on the American history and the American psyche to the next generation.
To be honest, though, the California public education through K-5 has so far been unimpressive even without Common Core that I don't see how Common Core by itself could be doing even more damage to the future generation. As for the author's complaint about covering so much material with no depth, this also seems like the result of the time we live in with so much media exposure coloring our children's experience. Things need to be quick, with a bang to keep the students' attention on the material.
- It's not true to what one would expect from a "core" curriculum. The standard covers a vast array of material in a shallow manner and does not deeply into the classics (especially because teachers will be teaching to the tests).
- Grave omission of Benjamin Franklin.
- Grave omission of the full text of the constitution.
- The common core makes judgements on past historical events and figures based on current knowledge and understanding.
- The common core does not do justice to the Founding Founders' achievement of crafting the American constitution. The constitution was drawn from thousands of years of human wisdom. The Common Core does not cover the philosophical footsteps the Founding Founders took. Without that, students can not understand the historical significance of the constitution and see it in the prism of its time.
- Many of the material covered can hardly be called literature and doubts that it would pass the test of time.
- Gives a liberal bias to students.
===
This book was quite enlightening for me in many ways. One thing I did not realize until I read this book was how my son's parochial school indeed had adopted the Common Core standard. It is useful for me to know as a non-American parent, raising American children, what a well educated American would find lacking in the standard. It seems that the author's main concern is that the Common Core does not properly pass on the American history and the American psyche to the next generation.
To be honest, though, the California public education through K-5 has so far been unimpressive even without Common Core that I don't see how Common Core by itself could be doing even more damage to the future generation. As for the author's complaint about covering so much material with no depth, this also seems like the result of the time we live in with so much media exposure coloring our children's experience. Things need to be quick, with a bang to keep the students' attention on the material.
March 26, 2014
Though the first little bit is tough to get through and comes across as political propaganda in tone, it gets much better as you continue reading. He does a great job laying out the gaping holes in the common core curriculum with examples straight from their text (you can look up exactly what sources he uses on the common core website). He also does a good job providing a better solution to the problems with the United States' current educational system. As someone else mentioned, the only thing that's have made it better is if he included a chapter on the common core math as well.
I think anyone with children, grandchildren, or even just concerned about the future of the United States' future needs to read this book. The public education system needs to be changed if we want our children and future adult citizens to be happy and well educated.
I think anyone with children, grandchildren, or even just concerned about the future of the United States' future needs to read this book. The public education system needs to be changed if we want our children and future adult citizens to be happy and well educated.
September 9, 2016
This book is very enlightening concerning The Common Core plan sweeping the nation - it exposes the faults with the "curricula", and explains how this is an attempt to
"nationalize" what is taught to our children. If you love your children and grandchildren, this is a must-read. Heavy reading at times, but you can skip to chapter 5 and get a feel for what kids are expected to read. They are doing away with good literature, correct American history, etc. It will skew the ethical standards and relegate any type of religious training to their ideas of naturalism and agnosticism.
"nationalize" what is taught to our children. If you love your children and grandchildren, this is a must-read. Heavy reading at times, but you can skip to chapter 5 and get a feel for what kids are expected to read. They are doing away with good literature, correct American history, etc. It will skew the ethical standards and relegate any type of religious training to their ideas of naturalism and agnosticism.
February 25, 2014
Great book that explains what the Common Core is in regard to the English/Literature curriculum. It shows the flaws of the Core and also what students should and need to be learning instead. It gave me a great desire to read the classics (most of which were not read while I was in school).
December 3, 2017
Out of all the books on education and our particular educational system I have read, this book has been the most influential for me. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanted to know what is being taught in our schools (he highlights high school English) and what is NOT being taught in our schools.
August 31, 2015
I wish this were an excellent book, but it is rather a mediocre book that does contain some excellent points in and amongst the hyperbolic style and sometimes dubious argumentation.
First, this book does not really, as the subtitle claims, deal with the Common Core per se. It deals with literature textbooks (and mostly one particular high school American literature book) that are CC aligned. Make no mistake, these books contain things that should cause serious concern to those who wish to conserve our inheritance of liberal education. Nevertheless, the textbooks Dr. Moore does battle with are not something brand new, nor are they something specifically prescribed by CC (despite his point that standardized testing has the trickle-down effect of ensuring the textbooks are what will be taught anyway). The appalling conglomeration of multi-cultural, anti-establishment bits and pieces of "texts" in the so-called literature textbook are worthy of attack, but they are simply the next step in the decades-long educational decline. To claim that this book is "A Common-Sense Case Against Common Core," however, is misleading.
Second, Dr. Moore establishes a rhetorical ethos that is not capable of swaying any but those already "on his side," and that is, frankly, unappealing to those desiring a serious, intellectual evaluation of CC. He constantly uses pejorative terminology, referring to the "Arch-Testers," "two-bit lit. crit.," the "Brave New Core" and so on. He also switches seemingly without reason between the tones of honest doubt and cynical irony about the CC textbook creators. Such rhetorical choices weaken rather than strengthen his arguments, which is disappointing because those arguments do have serious merit. The truth is, one needn't work hard to expose the potential dangers of CC to any who admire the Western heritage. Why unnecessarily blacken your opponent's character when he is proud enough to proclaim it himself?
I personally found his American bias a shade annoying as well. That is obviously his specialty, but it shortchanges the Greeks, Romans, and all of Medieval Europe to view them merely as the precursors to the grand and glorious perfection of the United States.
Despite these flaws, the book does offer a look into a real textbook that all who care about education should heed. While Dr. Moore does not always frame the problem in this way, the truth is that there is a wide chasm in educational philosophy about which all educators must know and choose which side they will build their camps on. The CC American Lit. textbook is not innocently or haphazardly designed. It is based upon deep beliefs that are antithetical to most Christian and conservative minds. Dr. Moore does offer his own suggested outline for literature and primary historical readings for all four years of high school, and this is a useful and exciting list, worth the cringe-inducing pages that precede it.
In the end, he is right even if he does not always make an elegantly persuasive case. "Story killing" is not something that CC has introduced, but it is something that CC has accelerated, and it will only become more codified in the years to come. Dr. Moore's early analogy of Common Core and the education Huxley described in Brave New World is striking. If nothing else, this book is a call to parents and teachers to decide intentionally how to educate our children.
First, this book does not really, as the subtitle claims, deal with the Common Core per se. It deals with literature textbooks (and mostly one particular high school American literature book) that are CC aligned. Make no mistake, these books contain things that should cause serious concern to those who wish to conserve our inheritance of liberal education. Nevertheless, the textbooks Dr. Moore does battle with are not something brand new, nor are they something specifically prescribed by CC (despite his point that standardized testing has the trickle-down effect of ensuring the textbooks are what will be taught anyway). The appalling conglomeration of multi-cultural, anti-establishment bits and pieces of "texts" in the so-called literature textbook are worthy of attack, but they are simply the next step in the decades-long educational decline. To claim that this book is "A Common-Sense Case Against Common Core," however, is misleading.
Second, Dr. Moore establishes a rhetorical ethos that is not capable of swaying any but those already "on his side," and that is, frankly, unappealing to those desiring a serious, intellectual evaluation of CC. He constantly uses pejorative terminology, referring to the "Arch-Testers," "two-bit lit. crit.," the "Brave New Core" and so on. He also switches seemingly without reason between the tones of honest doubt and cynical irony about the CC textbook creators. Such rhetorical choices weaken rather than strengthen his arguments, which is disappointing because those arguments do have serious merit. The truth is, one needn't work hard to expose the potential dangers of CC to any who admire the Western heritage. Why unnecessarily blacken your opponent's character when he is proud enough to proclaim it himself?
I personally found his American bias a shade annoying as well. That is obviously his specialty, but it shortchanges the Greeks, Romans, and all of Medieval Europe to view them merely as the precursors to the grand and glorious perfection of the United States.
Despite these flaws, the book does offer a look into a real textbook that all who care about education should heed. While Dr. Moore does not always frame the problem in this way, the truth is that there is a wide chasm in educational philosophy about which all educators must know and choose which side they will build their camps on. The CC American Lit. textbook is not innocently or haphazardly designed. It is based upon deep beliefs that are antithetical to most Christian and conservative minds. Dr. Moore does offer his own suggested outline for literature and primary historical readings for all four years of high school, and this is a useful and exciting list, worth the cringe-inducing pages that precede it.
In the end, he is right even if he does not always make an elegantly persuasive case. "Story killing" is not something that CC has introduced, but it is something that CC has accelerated, and it will only become more codified in the years to come. Dr. Moore's early analogy of Common Core and the education Huxley described in Brave New World is striking. If nothing else, this book is a call to parents and teachers to decide intentionally how to educate our children.
March 5, 2015
Once again, my rating is based on Goodreads "How much did you like the book" and NOT on the book's quality. Although, I'd probably give it a similar rating.
This is one of those books that absolutely had to be written. Why?
On one side of the CCSS debate are those of us who see the schoolwork children are enduring, who hear the stories and dry the tears. We talk to the teachers who hate this garbage, and can see the future: a world where no one can do basic math. And no one can read.
And then there is the other side, who proclaims constantly that "they are just standards!" They refuse to consider what the kids are actually doing because, they insist, that schoolwork is just one school's misinterpretation of them.
Enter in this book. It connects the dots between those poorly written standards, the appendices, and the actual schoolwork the kids are doing to meet the requirement. Terrence Moore isn't taking some cheesy assignments put out by third rate publishers, either: he is directly exposing us to the inane tasks contained in the CCSS appendices themselves.
If you are new to this subject, I would not suggest this book first. He isn't out to rehash the same stuff (so no bashing of the creators of this mess). He is laying it out for us, in real time, with real assignments. I don't hear anger in this: just the same sort of sorrow I feel when I consider the botch job that has been done to our schools.
Terrence Moore is not making this stuff up, either, as difficult as that may sometimes be to realize: I personally have looked through the exemplar texts. And when he brought up an assignment on Pride and Prejudice that was incredibly BADLY WRITTEN, I looked it up. There it was: in Appendix B in all it's glory.
I'm removing one star for readability- my own- when he was talking about his passion of classic literature. I understand his need to spell it out, but I had a difficult time getting through the second chapter (I stuck it out, though, and the rest of the book was fantastic).
This is one of those books that absolutely had to be written. Why?
On one side of the CCSS debate are those of us who see the schoolwork children are enduring, who hear the stories and dry the tears. We talk to the teachers who hate this garbage, and can see the future: a world where no one can do basic math. And no one can read.
And then there is the other side, who proclaims constantly that "they are just standards!" They refuse to consider what the kids are actually doing because, they insist, that schoolwork is just one school's misinterpretation of them.
Enter in this book. It connects the dots between those poorly written standards, the appendices, and the actual schoolwork the kids are doing to meet the requirement. Terrence Moore isn't taking some cheesy assignments put out by third rate publishers, either: he is directly exposing us to the inane tasks contained in the CCSS appendices themselves.
If you are new to this subject, I would not suggest this book first. He isn't out to rehash the same stuff (so no bashing of the creators of this mess). He is laying it out for us, in real time, with real assignments. I don't hear anger in this: just the same sort of sorrow I feel when I consider the botch job that has been done to our schools.
Terrence Moore is not making this stuff up, either, as difficult as that may sometimes be to realize: I personally have looked through the exemplar texts. And when he brought up an assignment on Pride and Prejudice that was incredibly BADLY WRITTEN, I looked it up. There it was: in Appendix B in all it's glory.
I'm removing one star for readability- my own- when he was talking about his passion of classic literature. I understand his need to spell it out, but I had a difficult time getting through the second chapter (I stuck it out, though, and the rest of the book was fantastic).
October 22, 2014
I did not get a "classical liberal arts education", but I like to think I had a pretty good education. I think a classical education is probably one of if not the very best for children today, but I am also aware of how easy it is to become elitist in that thinking. This author seems to be a very experienced classical educator. The author makes it pretty clear that the education I had growing up fell short of a truly classical education. The author then points out how the Common Core English standards fall further still from acquainting students with great literature from our Wetern heritage, I agree with the author on his points here, but I predict there would be many critics dismissing him as elitist. I do wish every child in America could have a classical education, but unfortunately that is just totally unrealistic.
The author's criticism of the Common Core that resonates most strongly with me is that the architects and textbook publishers push extreme Leftist political views into the curriculum, and naive or even complicit teachers subtly brainwash our children. For instance, English teachers would teach revisionist histories as part of the informational text analysis required in the new standards. Furthermore, the Common Core standards are written in such a way that they will accommodate any new updates the architects deem necessary for new political agendas in the future. It is one thing to present a balanced view of history, but quite another to flagrantly push Leftist propaganda as the only truth. This is the main reason the author convinces me to oppose the Common Core.
The author's criticism of the Common Core that resonates most strongly with me is that the architects and textbook publishers push extreme Leftist political views into the curriculum, and naive or even complicit teachers subtly brainwash our children. For instance, English teachers would teach revisionist histories as part of the informational text analysis required in the new standards. Furthermore, the Common Core standards are written in such a way that they will accommodate any new updates the architects deem necessary for new political agendas in the future. It is one thing to present a balanced view of history, but quite another to flagrantly push Leftist propaganda as the only truth. This is the main reason the author convinces me to oppose the Common Core.
Read
January 27, 2016(Writing this review several months after setting it aside so details are a little fuzzy)
Mr. Moore makes a great case for the need to read good literature and some solid arguments against Common Core. I had reservations about reading a bashing of Common Core, as what I needed at the time was inspiration not discouragement. However, on reassurance from a friend that it was more encouraging, I dug in. Revisiting my notes from what I have read piques my interest again. I'm anxious to finish it out.
Here are a couple of highlights. According to the author, great literature teaches us how to have worthwhile conversations, helps us develop sympathy and helps us learn to judge, to know and improve self, and to develop moral sense. All of the above are skills and abilities desperately needed to enjoy this human experience. I loved this line: "reading great literature is like eavesdropping on other's conversations." (p. 49)
In addition to validating my drive to read great books, this book also introduced several books I hadn't yet considered reading. Looking forward to picking up this book again!
Mr. Moore makes a great case for the need to read good literature and some solid arguments against Common Core. I had reservations about reading a bashing of Common Core, as what I needed at the time was inspiration not discouragement. However, on reassurance from a friend that it was more encouraging, I dug in. Revisiting my notes from what I have read piques my interest again. I'm anxious to finish it out.
Here are a couple of highlights. According to the author, great literature teaches us how to have worthwhile conversations, helps us develop sympathy and helps us learn to judge, to know and improve self, and to develop moral sense. All of the above are skills and abilities desperately needed to enjoy this human experience. I loved this line: "reading great literature is like eavesdropping on other's conversations." (p. 49)
In addition to validating my drive to read great books, this book also introduced several books I hadn't yet considered reading. Looking forward to picking up this book again!
February 24, 2016
Most critiques of Common Core that I have seen focus on its peculiar and badly-executed approach to teaching math. Moore tackles the Literature standards, from the perspective of an experienced teacher and a creator of a curriculum of his own, based on the classics. Not much of it was new to me. I'm an English major with a secondary ed certificate and the parent of grown children, so I've watched the subverting of education for years. I think if I had school-age kids now, I would look for one of the Hillsdale Academy schools or something similar, where there is a reasoned approach behind what is taught, where original sources are read in their entirety, and where political correctness doesn't prevail. As Twyla Tharp remarked, “Before you can think out of the box, you have to start with a box.”
December 12, 2025
I read this book in 2014. It's now the end of 2025. This book was prophetic. No one listened.
Now kids are graduating not knowing how to read. Literacy rates are the worst they've ever been. Kids who have grown up under Common Core are not better off than those who didn't.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/us-...
In the infamous words of Bill Gates (who funded Common Core) in 2013: “It would be great if our education stuff worked, but that we won’t know for probably a decade.” ........
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/a...
Now kids are graduating not knowing how to read. Literacy rates are the worst they've ever been. Kids who have grown up under Common Core are not better off than those who didn't.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/us-...
In the infamous words of Bill Gates (who funded Common Core) in 2013: “It would be great if our education stuff worked, but that we won’t know for probably a decade.” ........
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/a...
August 4, 2014
I did it! I made it through this book that I threatened to abandon numerous times. I felt it was my duty to hear out the opposition to CCSS. Some arguments were flawed, but I did gain some meaningful insight as well. On this we agree: textbooks today are terrible!! I always thought the assigned questions were inane and vague, and this book confirmed my suspicions. Textbooks - just like CCSS - are NOT the curriculum.
March 16, 2015
It's dense but worth it. Going far beyond the new and heavily debated CCSS standards, Moore does an excellent job describing why literature and stories are so critical in education. Makes me giddy to think what a literature class could really be like. Our poor kids. Hang in there. One day we just might decide to educate you.
February 19, 2014
This is an outstanding book for anyone who cares about the future of our country and our children.
May 8, 2014
Excellent book. Anyone concerned about the impact of Common Core and would like to know more about it in language everyone can understand should read this book!
September 24, 2014
A must read for parents with children in the public school system today. Very enlightening!
February 23, 2015
Excellent book about why Common Core is not the best course for our kids.
April 20, 2021
I really hate common core. What a waste of money, school supplies, and potential just so the elites can dumb down society. fudge them.
October 1, 2014
Be very afraid of the socialization of our public education system!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews