Why Are We Doing Common Core Again?

I found some very interesting statistics today in the 2013 Kids Count Data Book.

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This was quite the snapshot.  Think about it.  We have to do Common Core on a national level because teens are dropping out of high school and kids are not proficient in English and Math.  Seems to me that the Common Core was proposed long AFTER 2005.  It certainly hasn't been in effect long enough (since 2010 with full implementation in 2014) to cause changes in these numbers.

But let's not stop there.  Let's look at Oklahoma.

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Now this: (from Kids Count via NAEP)

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And this:  (from Kids Count via NAEP)

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Gosh.  I totally see the need for Common Core for math in Oklahoma!  We have not improved since...well, I guess we've been improving since 2003.  That's odd.

What about reading?

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Okay, granted, not the stellar achievement levels of math, but still going in the right direction...WITHOUT COMMON CORE.

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Okay, apparently we're not doing that great a job here, however, what in the heck is the point of spending all the money and time and re-training teachers to teach in a way they wouldn't normally do, just so we can have NATIONAL standards?

Are you scratching your head yet?  I am.