"Children, why do we go to school? So we won't be stupid." This quote by my AP English teacher will never leave my mind because it's the honest answer to why we go to school. Human beings are naturally curious and want to learn and expand our horizons in every way possible, from experimenting in Chemistry to learning how the universe works to the math behind how stars are made, and how computers are able to do that math one thousand times faster than any human ever could, how could you not want to learn about everything? This foundation for wanting to learn everything starts from the very first day of Kindergarten, when the teacher is first showing us how to count, spell and what is right and what is wrong. Common Core has become a commonly adopted teaching curriculum in the United States, with virtually every state having some form of it, but you always have the people who are against it. Is it impeding progress towards a more intelligent and knowledge-hungry population? If it is, how can we do better and if we should go back to what we were doing? Is it helping us? If so, what are we doing different that makes education better?

Coming fresh out of high school and into college, I wanted to learn everything in the world about math, science, computers and electronics, but I felt at first that college was a huge undertaking that was going to eat me alive. Common Core has been designed to make students want to learn as much as possible and to be prepared for college, and coming through probably the first go-a-round of Common Core, I feel like the classes I had to take were too easy in high school, granted not everyone is the best at math or the best at English so everything has to be adjusted. Some say that Common Core dummies down everything in the public school curriculum, and in some cases I could agree with that, Math has always been my favorite subject, especially the stuff that challenged me like Calculus. Many of my peers struggled with math, but I feel like because we had to keep those who were a little slower at comprehension of a subject at the same level as the people who were great in the subject that it was hurting everyone. 

I think this is an interesting topic because I can relate to this issue coming out of the public education system that enforced this. I see all kinds of posts on social media about the problems with Common Core and "how it is stupid" or "how it sucks" or that "it isn't what I learned in school so it has to be wrong." 

I wouldn't say that I am a stake holder in the subject because I went through public education and my generation of high school was kind of a "guinea pig" to see if Common Core was a feasible option or if it was a ridiculous undertaking that should be dropped immediately. The way I was taught information may have helped or hindered those that had to take the same classes in the future, and if they were going to understand it depended on us. In all areas except for English, I felt like my classes were simply too easy.

On my personal level I would say that I am against Common Core coming into this argument because the main goal of it, "to better prepare children for college and jobs" was kind of a joke when I studied for only one class in all of K-12, which was AP Calculus. Needless to say, my study skills were pretty weak so when I got into college I learned that studying is absolutely essential to get the best grade in your classes. That's how I am struggling with Chemistry, because I never really learned decent studying strategies or anything that would be of use. 

My paper I think is very feasible, because I went through the public education system along with many of my classmates. I could talk to my high school teachers and directly ask them if they though Common Core was really helping us or if it was making it harder for the smart kids to advance when those who weren't the best in the subject are struggling. It can happen on both sides, personally I'm pretty good at math, programming and history, and meanwhile I am horrible at interpreting artistic or literary objects. Others are great at writing and I am kind of jealous of that but horrible at math. Putting me in the same English class as a bunch of graduate level English majors wouldn't be fair to them because I would struggle and never do well and not want to try, just like they would if they were having to take an advanced Computer Science class. 

Is this a ten page paper? I feel like I could easily talk about my experience and those of others in my generation that have gone through Common Core along with what others have said about it like high school teachers or maybe professors on the subject. The only issue may be using many scholarly resources since most of it may be in an education major's textbook and not a scholarly journal.

I want to say that Common Core just isn't fair to everyone because it keeps those who are really good at something with someone who isn't and that it just hurts everyone academically. Those that are really good at it will not study for it and if they don't get something they will argue that the one who taught it to them is horribly wrong and should be fired. Those who are bad at the subject will spend a superfluous amount of time trying to learn it and ask questions. Putting both in the same class will leave those who are still learning it to be pressured into not fully understanding it because they don't want to hold the class back. 

The research question is easy to revise, and probably will be revised multiple times throughout the assignment, but if it needs to be done, it needs to be done.
