Russ Pulliam of The Indianapolis Star wrote a fantastic article last Thursday that I wanted to point your attention to.
An excerpt:
Critics on the right object to the federal government dictating standards to the states. Critics on the left see Common Core as a business-driven plot to force conformity on students.
In Central Indiana a flight from the Common Core is driving some families to the even higher challenges of classical education.
Classical programs are growing their numbers, but they are not for everyone. Latin starts in the early elementary grades. Students read the classics, often above traditional grade level expectations. They memorize classical documents such as the Declaration of Independence or the Magna Carta. They learn states and capitals. They memorize multiplication tables and drill hard in math.
Note the classical school enrollment gains. Oaks Academy has gone from 390 to 402 students at its Fall Creek campus, and 85 to 162 at the newer Brookside campus. The Highlands Latin School in Carmel has jumped from 100 to 150 students, in just its third year. Classical Conversations, a one-day a week program for home school families, grew from 605 to 715 students across the state this fall. A smaller Roman Catholic school, Lumen Christi, grew from 85 to 93 student this fall.
Not all families who embrace the classical model are trying to avoid Common Core. But Common Core seems to represent an experimental, risky approach for families who want a longer track record.
Be sure to read the rest.
Photo credit: Oaks Academy
Originally posted at FightCommonCore.com