A few weeks ago, the Butler Eagle ran a story on parents opting to hold their children back to repeat a grade in the wake of the pandemic. Some students were able to readjust to being back in the classroom easily, while some struggled, and that’s OK.

While much of the blame rests on the unfortunate necessity of remote learning, the new methods of problem-solving may be presenting another steep challenge.

Speaking as someone who has been privy to attempting to aid a fifth-grader through Common Core math, these new methods seem to be creating a barrier between children and parents who help them with homework.

According to an article published by the Mercury News, Common Core, a national set of educational standards adopted in 2010, established reading and math benchmarks that children must reach from kindergarten through 12th grade. Proponents say it will increase the rigor and quality of American education.

Gone are the days of memorizing formulas or multiplication tables via flashcards. Instead of two or three steps to complete a problem, the process now clocks in at around eight to 10 steps, requiring students to show their reasoning in coming to the right answer. Parents with a master’s degree are becoming frustrated by first-grade content. Entire families are involved in elementary math homework.

Parents aren’t the only adults struggling to adapt to the new way of doing things. Some teachers have admitted to the steep learning curve associated with Common Core, and they have the added challenge of teaching it to children.

There has to be some sort of buffer in this system that mitigates struggle. There is no reason an elementary school student’s math should take two hours and an army to tackle.

While the frustration has spawned online tutorials and parent discussion, there comes a point in any effort where we must revisit and ask if the pros outweigh the cons. Students have it hard enough.

—CM