The two words ‘common core’ strike fear into many students’ hearts, even if their understanding of what they mean is lacking. The image of pretests and complaining teachers would likely appear, without any clear understanding of common core itself.

“I don’t actually really know what common core is,” sophomore Tasia Meaders said.

And she is certainly not alone.

The point of common core is to make schools across America teach the same information to students of the same age. For instance, it ensures that every fifth grader understands fractions and that every seventh grader understands geometry.

The controversy lies in whether the standards set by common core are actually beneficial.

“My grandparents were saying they disliked it, but my mom was saying it wasn’t actually all that bad,” Meaders said.

Essentially, the controversy stems from the assessments that are required with common core. Teachers are judged by how well students do on these assessments. Also, the pretests required take up precious class time that may be better used to teach.

“The different states have different standards and laws, and it seems kind of strange that they would all follow the same standards,” sophomore Sara Lu said. “It’s like, different states have different drinking ages. They all have different standards.”