The following comes from a Dec. 25 story on Inquirer.net.

“The US has a problem with math and science. We’re getting mathematicians and scientists from outside the country. It’s not because we’re not offering good math and science classes. Why can’t many of our children pick careers based on math and science?”

This is what the new California education standard [Common Core] needs to solve, explained six-year superintendent of Catholic Schools in the diocese of San Jose Kathy Almazol.

Although Common Core State Standards is a mandate for California public schools, it is not for most private and charter schools.

But Almazol said the diocese does not find the Common Core sub-par, and their schools embrace its principles. Besides, many students even from Catholic schools will matriculate into the UC system in college.

“Where we’re having the biggest problem is when bright students go through high school and by junior year say, ‘I’m not going to be an engineer’ or ‘I’m not going to major in math, it’s too hard.’”

….Almazol said ignorance has given way to fear of Common Core.

“It is really about setting standards for what every child needs to know for life-long learning. It’s not a curriculum,” she clarified. “It is a set of standards that, for instance, says at a certain level is best for children to know a particular area of knowledge and are able to be successful (I wouldn’t say master) at this particular level. How you choose to teach the Standards, what books to use and how rigorous your course work are totally up to the school. In San Jose, we have seven Catholic schools.”

San Jose is the capital of Silicon Valley. Apple is in nearby Cupertino. Intel, Yahoo and McAfee (the anti-virus software company now part of Intel) are in the next city of Santa Clara. Tech giant Cisco occupies a large part of Filipino-majority city, Milpitas.

….Almazol said, “We’re not throwing away the flash cards and students still need to read books. It doesn’t say anywhere in Common Core that you can’t teach Mark Twain or Baroque music or handwriting. It doesn’t say any of that.” What education should have, according to Common Core, is R&R meaning “rigorous and relevant….”

To read the entire story, click here.,