(a) my analogy with the New Math was not meant to equate the two, only their conceptual cart before procedural horse qualities (which would also be my pedagogical concern);
(b) don't get me wrong: I agree with the "deeper understanding" goal of CCSS, and it was how I taught. The concerns I expressed were with the whole program's implementation, (un)testing, and effectiveness with less than exceptional students -- more of a systems thing than pedagogy. In fact, CCSS would have been great as a professional development "surge", if you will. All this testing, book-rewriting, and saber-rattling over accountability -- well, the proponents get an "F" for change implementation.
When you are talking about the "program's implementation," are you talking about how the CCSS were developed? The authors were informed by the best existing state standards, teacher feedback, and public input, and they aimed for the standards to be research and evidence-based more than any other standards document I've read. Every change of standards must face the charge of "untested", though I think the authors of the Common Core mitigate this by basing their work on research and work that is tested.
I am unfamiliar with any large-scale failures of the CCSS with struggling students, but I have seen struggler excel with an approach that emphasizes understanding. Of course, anecdotes are not data, and I'm open to hearing how the Common Core fails our weakest students. I don't think it is perfect, but I do think it is better than any of the alternatives I've taught with.
If we're being honest, in many places in the US, the emphasis on misusing standardized test scores to shut down schools and fire teachers was well under way long before the CCSS. And to be clear, I don't think this makes any sense. But I don't think it's reasonable to pin this on the Common Core, it's just that it provides an enemy that people from around the country can hate on.
By "implementation" I mean everything that followed the authoring of CC. (But I do have a big problem with the few authors and absence of meaningful feedback from educators.) The thing is untested, mandated, used as a threat, and more untested. I also think the absence of feedback from real teachers was an act of arrogance and ignorance: teachers are actually pretty good at what they do, and the best teachers could have totally schooled the CC authors. They never really asked. CC reminds me of what Yeltsin said about Communism: "It was a beautiful dream."
