Norfolk meeting looks at educational 'core curriculum'

NORFOLK

Who says Virginians aren't interested in the common core curriculum?

The math and literacy standards have been adopted by well over 40 states; Virginia is one of the few not on board. Yet on Wednesday, more than 200 Hampton Roads business and education leaders were in Norfolk to hear from one of the common core's authors.

"We need to learn more about it," said Angelica Light, president of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, which organized the event with the Economics Club of Hampton Roads.

David Coleman is the latest in a series of speakers brought in to shed light on issues the community should know about, Light said. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is one of them.

It was developed over the past few years with input from states, teachers and education research, said Coleman, the founder and CEO of an education consulting organization in New York.

The standards emphasize depth over breadth, giving students more time to master the most important core concepts by cutting out less important course material. It's a learning method favored by many foreign countries that tend to outpace American schools, Coleman said.

"The standards need to be fewer, clearer, higher," he said.

Coleman stressed Virginia needs to make its own decision, which is exactly what it has done so far. The governor and the state superintendent have said repeatedly that Virginia's Standards of Learning already meet or exceed the common core standards.

Yet on Wednesday, opinions among attendees were divided.

Norfolk Superintendent Richard Bentley said it's a balancing act: A set of common expectations across states is a good idea, but that has to be balanced with the strong tradition of local control in American schools.

Two military liaisons who work with local schools said a common set of standards would help military children, who can struggle with moves between states that teach different material.

Two other local superintendents said they favor the common core.

"It makes sense, particularly when you get down into it," said James Merrill, superintendent of Virginia Beach schools. "Language arts and mathematics, it's really core of core."

Portsmouth Superintendent David Stuckwisch said he especially agrees with the emphasis on deep understanding of literacy and numeracy.

"When 45 states have signed on and we haven't, we have to ask why," he said.

Elisabeth Hulette, (757) 222-5216, elisabeth.hulette@pilotonline.com