Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology Overuse Is Making Our Kids Dumber

by Joe Clement

That situation, while expensive and troubling, pales in comparison with the way the Common Core State Standards came into being. Calling them state standards (as opposed to national standards) would be hilarious were it not so misleading. In the military-industrial complex I referenced earlier, decision making is centralized. If you’re a defense contractor and you want to build a new jet, for instance, you need to convince a few people in the Pentagon and you’re good to go. Education isn’t like that. There are over thirteen thousand school systems in the United States, all of which have different needs and priorities. As Dr. Picciano explained to us, that’s an awful lot of sales pitches to have to make. What would simplify that? National standards. Having those would mean that all school systems throughout the country would need to teach the same things. If you had products that prepackaged these new standards and content, they would sell themselves. Schools would come to you to buy these products. Cha-ching again!