The Common Core and Democratic Education: Examining Potential Costs and Benefits to Public and Private Autonomy

• In Event: 35.082 - Roundtable Session 14
  In Roundtable Session: 35.082-4 - Common Core Implementation and Politics

Abstract

This conceptual paper examines Common Core State Standards to determine whether their adoption is more likely to support or undermine democratic conditions and aims of liberal, democratic education. Specifically, the paper seeks to determine the standards' likely effect on public autonomy (defined as a community's capacity to influence public life and shape public policy) and private autonomy (defined as one's capacity to think for oneself, to set one's own goals, and to pursue those goals free from excessive outside influence). The authors determine claims that the standards will lead to excessive losses to public autonomy are probably overstated and are instead likely to lead to overall increases in both private and public autonomy.

Authors

• Benjamin J. Bindewald, Oklahoma State University

• Rory Philip Tannebaum, Merrimack College

• Patrick Womac, Clemson University