Friday, November 15, 2013

The Common Core Advocates Lack All Conviction

Yeats:

The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Like most people, I'm sensitive to being on the losing ("best") side of Yeats' quote, e.g., of course Obama care kind of sucks, we should just have single-payer, but it's better than nothing!

I can't think of a time when the other side in a major public debate has displayed as little passionate intensity as Common Core advocates are managing to muster.

For example:

So, I will be in Chicago on January 11 to speak to the Modern Language Association at its annual convention on the subject of the Common Core. Originally, I was scheduled to debate David Coleman, the architect of the Common Core, but he said he had to attend a board meeting in California and withdrew.

Or the warmed over leftovers served up at Common Core Watch lately.

The problem, of course, is that they can't argue specifics, particularly in ELA, because ultimately nobody likes or cares about the specifics. It is an uncomfortable position to find oneself in, even if many of your loudest opponents are cranks.

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