Common Core

"The book is brief, pithy, to-the-point and well-focused, making it a great gift for your civilian friend who wants a quick, accessible explanation of what all the fuss is about."—Curmudgucation

"Common Core provides a useful reminder of how educators—together with parents, and civil society—should be engaged in a larger political process of how schools, curricula, and national standards are organized."—Emmerich Davies, Harvard University, Perspectives on Politics

"Well-researched, clearly written, and thoughtfully presented, this excellent critique of Common Core is written with conviction but without vitriol. Nicholas Tampio's first-rate book, which is admirably respectful of opinions contrary to his own, is a pleasure to read."—William J. Reese, University of Wisconsin–Madison, author of America's Public Schools: From the Common School to "No Child Left Behind"

"A brilliant take on the problems of the Common Core and any effort to impose uniform standards on all children. Thoughtful, evidence-based, and compelling, this should be a must-read for education policymakers and anyone concerned about the future of education."—Yong Zhao, University of Kansas, coauthor of The Take-Action Guide to World Class Learners: How to Make Personalization and Student Autonomy Happen

"While Tampio is clearly opposed to national education standards, he skillfully offers his readers an opportunity to be educated on both sides of the issue. Nicholas Tampio's work also illuminates the harmful, inextricable weaving of the national standards push with both mind-narrowing standardized testing and invasive student data collection. An important read."—Mercedes K. Schneider, St. Tammany Parish public school teacher, author of Common Core Dilemma—Who Owns Our Schools?

"Whatever your opinion of Common Core is, you must read this book. Nicholas Tampio explains what is wrong with insisting on a single vision of education for a diverse nation like the United States and illustrates how we can rescue public education."—Pasi Sahlberg, Arizona State University, author of Finnish Lessons 2.0: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland?

"In his important book, Nicholas Tampio challenges the very idea that democracies need national education standards. He respectfully considers alternate points of view, and his reasoning will confound liberals and conservatives alike."—Deborah Meier, author of In Schools We Trust: Creating Communities of Learning in an Era of Testing and Standardization

"Rightly identifying the threat posed by Common Core in turning American education into a monoculture, Nicholas Tampio maps educational pathways that promote student achievement but also preserve local control and democratic practice. Mandatory reading for anyone interested in the recent history of education reform in the United States."—Yohuru Williams, University of St. Thomas, author of Rethinking the Black Freedom Movement