About Common Core
Repeal the Common Core State Standards! Understanding what Common Core really is — and what it means for New York's children — is the first step toward reclaiming local control of education.
What Are the Common Core State Standards?
The Common Core State Standards are a set of academic benchmarks in English language arts and mathematics that were adopted by New York and many other states. Proponents describe them as rigorous, internationally benchmarked goals for what students should know at each grade level. Critics argue they represent a top-down, one-size-fits-all approach that strips parents, teachers, and local school boards of meaningful authority over curriculum and instruction.
New York began implementing Common Core roughly two years before February 2015, and opposition has grown steadily among parents and educators concerned about age-inappropriate content, diminished local control, and the high-stakes testing regime tied to the standards.
Key Topics
Myths & Facts
Separate Common Core rhetoric from reality. We address the most common pro-Common Core talking points and provide factual rebuttals grounded in research and firsthand experience from New York classrooms.
Learn More →Standards Content
A closer look at what the Common Core standards actually require students to learn — and why many parents and teachers find the content troubling, particularly in the early grades.
Learn More →Gates Foundation & NCEE Influence
Examine the powerful organizations that funded and promoted Common Core's development and adoption, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Center on Education and the Economy.
Learn More →National Curriculum
Common Core functions as a de facto national curriculum, raising serious concerns about federal overreach and the erosion of local decision-making in New York's schools.
Learn More →About PARCC
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is the standardized testing arm of Common Core. Learn how these tests affect students, teachers, and school funding.
Learn More →Why This Matters for New York
Common Core is not just an abstract policy debate — it directly shapes what happens in New York classrooms every day. The standards drive curriculum choices, textbook purchases, teacher evaluations, and the high-stakes tests that determine student promotion and graduation. New York parents have responded with a growing opt-out movement, refusing to let their children sit for state assessments tied to Common Core.
Concerns also extend to student data privacy. Under Common Core-aligned systems, sensitive student information can be collected and shared in ways that many families find alarming. Federal laws such as FERPA provide some protections, but advocacy groups including the Electronic Privacy Information Center have raised serious questions about whether those safeguards are sufficient.