Common Sense Education: From Common Core to ESSA and Beyond [Paperback]

The 2015 passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) has again changed education for public schools and communities. Common Core is now optional and the role of Secretary of Education has been limited by no longer incentivizing states, as done under Common Core. This book analyzes the new direction todays schools must pursue for student learning and their success beyond high school. States and local educational agencies are once again empowered and will have more authority over curriculum and assessment. Common Sense Education includes samples from these states, ideas from several universities which are retooling their teacher education programs and focusing on teacher excellence, as well as schools recalibrating their programs for student learning. This book advocates for common sense education, uses a national survey to provide parent and teacher perspectives, and suggests a new paradigm for exciting twenty-first century high schools.Ernest J. Zarra lives in California, holds five earned degrees, and is a life-long educator. Ernie has authored four books, and nearly two dozen journal articles on issues related to education. He teaches Advanced Placement classes to high school seniors at a state and nationally distinguished secondary school. He is married to Suzi, and they have two adult children.

Common Sense Education: From Common Core to ESSA and Beyond, is not just a comprehensive overview of the failures of the Common Core approach to education. Dr. Zarra takes the reader on a captivating journey that begins with a basic, unbiased understanding of the Common Core, which educators and parents can grasp, and moves into and beyond the newest education law, Every Student Succeeds Act. This book traces government education overreach to its perilous and tragic end and provides all audiences with sensible, clear and logical outcomes. Common Sense Education exposes fallacies that aim at 'selling' federal education control to the voting public. Dr. Zarra il3$