FROM: Rev. Stephen C. Rowan, Ph.D.
DATE: November 22, 2013
SUBJECT: Meeting and Exceeding the Common Core
Dear Principals and Pastors of Schools:
We at the Office for Catholic Schools have been receiving many queries concerning the Common Core, questioning its rigor and appropriateness for Catholic schools. I suspect that you have been receiving similar queries at your school. Since the Common Core consists of standards and is not itself the curriculum, it is important that families direct their questions about the Common Core to the school where the curriculum is designed and implemented.
To assist you in addressing the questions you may be getting, we are providing three statements: Two from the NCEA, the latest of which explains how funding from the Gates Foundation was used to provide professional development in Math for teachers and administrators, and a third statement from me, explaining that Catholic schools are committed to meeting and exceeding the State’s standards.
By committing ourselves to exceeding the state’s standards, and by distinguishing the standards from the curriculum, I believe that we are answering the objections that most people will have to the role played by the standards of the Common Core in the design of our curricula.
I hope that these statements will assist you in answering questions from concerned parents and the public. If you need further assistance about addressing this issue, please consult with Kristin Dixon, assistant superintendent for curriculum and professional development.
Thank you for your work on behalf of our Catholic schools.
Rev. Stephen C. Rowan
Superintendent
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