A common core of confusion.

• Author: Bryant, Jeff
• Position: PUBLIC SCHOOL SHAKEDOWN - Brief article

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is the latest presidential aspirant to make a big display of opposing Common Core, which he once championed. As Politico explains, "Virtually every 2016 Republican presidential candidate has turned against the education standards, other than former Florida Governor Jeb Bush."

This is a strange turn of events, since conservatives have embraced the idea of national standards ever since the Reagan era. But instead of pointing out the incoherence of the Republican point of view, Democrats are responding to Republican attacks on the Common Core with incoherent arguments of their own.

"Common Core is working," the folks at Think Progress, the blog site of the Democratic-affiliated Center for American Progress, declare. As evidence, they cite long-term policy changes that pre-date Common Core.

The group's memo argues that Common Core "helps level the playing field to ensure that all kids have an equal chance at succeeding."

As popular teacher-blogger Mark Weber explains on his website...