Has Common Core Lived Up To Its Promises 10 Years Later?

It’s been about a decade since Illinois and states across the country adopted tougher learning standards for public schools. The goal of Common Core is to prevent kids from falling behind, but some say it hasn’t leveled the playing field.

After a rocky roll-out for some districts, today, many teachers say they are pleased with the progress their students are making under the the learning model. 

In addition to raising the learning standards for students, the original goal of Common Core was also to help close the gap between well-resourced and disadvantaged schools. But critics say it has been less successful in that regard. 

We spoke with Chuck Bleyer, superintendent for Wabash Community Unit schools District 348 in Mt. Carmel, in the south eastern part of Illinois.

WBEZ Chicago reporter Susie An and WBEZ education reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad also joined us to discuss their reporting.