Common Core curriculum begins third year in NC schools

Lawmakers discussed scrapping it during this legislative session, causing confusion about whether it was still in place, but Common Core is sticking around, at least for now.

Common Core is the current standard course of study for math and English and is designed to force students to think differently.

Tim Gibson, principal of Easley Year-Round Magnet Elementary School in Durham, says the curriculum has caused students to do more thought-provoking, purposeful work. He says students now learn critical thinking and problem solving at a younger age.

Common Core is a set of nationwide standards that provides plenty of local flexibility.

North Carolina lawmakers recently created a commission to review the Common Core curriculum and make recommendations to make it better. Gibson says he believes there is room for improvement.

“There’s certain skills that are maybe not addressed explicitly in the curriculum that need to be examined and filled in,” he said.