Servant Leadership vs the Common Core Essay

With the adoption of Common Core and the addition of multiple standardized tests children are starting to feel lost and left behind when it comes to curriculum. According to Cary Grimm Common Core standards can be compared to jumping over a fence that one knows was 2 feet but evidently was told 3 feet and missed the next level standard. When you set a standard of what a child needs to know in each grade but only used standardized testing to test their knowledge of what they know instead of using a more personal approach, this degrades the system (Stern). When the education systems makes it all based on who’s the

Servanthood is to serve the needs of the people in the best way possible and bring forth the greatness these individuals have to offer their community. Being a servant leader also means being selfless. Leaders are placed in certain organizations and a position to bring forth the calling and vision God has for His people. Servant leadership in it entity is to motivate and encourage individuals to turn away from self-serving. Wilkes, author of the book, Jesus on Leadership, says it the best, “A servant leader serves the mission and leads by serving those on the mission with him”

The original concept of Common Core appealed toward many students, as the aim of the new curriculum is to rid the school system of the classic method of teaching through repetition, and instead replace it a method where a student should learn with their own open mind and give them credit as long as their process to approaching the problem is correct. However, this no longer promotes students to apply full effort and simply just repeat a step they learned in class without having them apply the test taking skills they should be practicing to develop. This shift in curriculum has created a divide in the educational system between the government and people that actually are involved and affected by the curriculum.

Leadership is one of the most widely talked about subjects and at the same time one of the most elusive and puzzling. “One of the most universal cravings of our time” writes James MacGregor Burns,” is a hunger for compelling and creative leadership.” Many people still believe that leaders are born and not made. Or that leadership is somehow almost accidental or at least that most leaders arise from circumstances and normally do not create them. Servant leadership emerges from those whose primary motivation is a deep desire to help others. Servant leader’s care about everyone their organization touches: employees, customers, business partners, lenders, shareholders, and communities. The servant as a leader concept crosses all boundaries by embracing social responsibility, helping followers grow and succeed, putting followers first and behaving ethically.

The American education system is falling behind. According to international rankings, America ranks 17th in math, 17th in reading, and 21st in science out of 34 industrialized countries. In an effort to improve the nation’s rankings, educators have developed a curriculum called Common Core. To form the Core Standards, educators acquired standards from higher-ranking countries and incorporated them into American education. After adopting the Core Curriculum in states, educators and politicians are debating whether or not Common Core is truly benefitting students. Because these standards are on a national level, students from all socioeconomic statuses must adhere to the one curriculum, leading kids to

What a great thread everyone. I also appreciate the point made about trust being an important foundation for relationships. As I was writing my thoughts for this post I began to think about the connection between servant leadership and the classroom. Is there a connection? And if so, as teachers we are the authority and leader within our classrooms. So, I wonder how you would describe the concept of servant leadership applied to the teacher’s role in the classroom. Is there even a parallel?

The Common Core is a set of educational standards for English language arts and mathematics (About the Standards, 2016). Each standard within the CCSS is listed by grade level and subject ranging from writing in kindergarten to statistics in high school. The goal of CCSS is to “…ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life, regardless of where they live” (About the Standards, 2016). According to CCSS’s website (2016) the standards were set by “education experts”. With these collaborations they were able to create a clear and organized set of standards for teachers. According to the Common Core State Standards Initiative website (2016) Common Core standards are (1) based on evidence conducted through research, (2) consistent, clear and understandable, (3) cooperative with college/career expectancies, (4) based on thinking skills, (5) built for continuing current state standards, and (6) used in other countries to prepare students.

The Common Core State Standards are a set of mathematics and literacy standards that outline what a student should be able to do at the end of each grade level. Rather than focusing on the minimum needs of the educational system like NCLB, the Common Core State Standards strive to meet the rigorous needs of student learning in order to prepare them for the future. Common Core State Standards Initiative (2015) states, “The standards were created to ensure that all students graduate from high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college, career, and life, regardless of where they live.” The initiative explains that the standards were created because of the growing trend of students in the

“It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.” What is servant leadership? Servant leadership is shown when an individual or an organization thrives to support others around them and uses their power to make others stronger. (Robert K. Greenleaf)

Within a person there are two roads. One road drives you down the path of being a leader, and the other of being a follower. Along the way those two roads merge, and we find our servant leaders at the very back end of traffic. People are no different than a motorized vehicle. People will, for the sake of analogy, run out of gas, get a flat tire, and have mechanical problems that slow them down. The purpose for servant leaders standing behind their people is to be an employee’s very own personal roadside assistance.

The research conducted on servant leadership might be the most effective research in a leader’s ability to move an organization and transform both the organization and its followers. In order to prove any model of leadership, one must look closer at what the research is saying. As teachers use data to drive instruction and planning, a leader must embrace the same philosophy when moving his or her organization towards personal and professional achievement. The research conducted on servant and authentic leadership clearly follows an action plan that provides a leader with tools that motivate and encourages followers. Servant leadership has been proven to energize and move both principal and teacher leaders, but can authentic leadership support this model as a viable support model that will improve teacher and student success towards the common goals and vision of the school? Effective leaders are great communicators and must be good listeners, to themselves (through their inner voice), as well as to others (Crippen, 2005).

Common Core State Standards focusses on making the standards for reading, writing, and math the same for all states in America, which has brought changes to the way children in kindergarten through twelfth grade are taught. As said in Amanda Thomas and Alden J. Edson’s article, “How Common is the Common Core?” the key differences brought by Common Core include, but are not limited to, “grade-level shifts, organizational differences . . . emphasis and de-emphasis of particular topics . . . and new approaches to

The Common Core Standards were adopted by 48 states in 2009 to ensure all students graduating from schools in the United States have the necessary knowledge and skills need to succeed in college, career, and life (“Preparing America's students for success.”). However, from the beginning these common core standards have received severe criticism from educators, parents, and students. The main complaints can be classified into three main categories which are the hardship on educators, lack of individuality for students, and fear of the standards ending in failure (Sadker and Zittleman 180, “Arguments Against the Common Core.”). I am a mother of three very unique sons and a future teacher, I do understand and feel many of these concerns; however, I feel that there is hope in the future with a higher minimum standard.

Common Core is a set of kindergarten through twelfth grade academic standards in math and English language arts. With Common Core, students should reach a certain level of education by the end of the school year. For example, by Common Core standards, first grade English students should be able to capitalize dates and the names of people. According to standards placed by Common Core, a kindergarten math student should be able to add and subtract word problems within ten digits (“The 74”). At first, it may seem like a good idea to raise national academic standards in order to raise national academic excellence. However, the focus on the standards set by Common Core is misguided and is impossible for some

The Common Core is a set of standards implemented by The Council of Chief State School Offices in 2009 to create a learning environment in the United States where all students are meeting the same set of standards to uplift them to higher education and their future careers. The Standards are for Math and Language Arts in an attempt to develop students with critical thinking skills, analytic skills, and who are problem solvers. With this new set of standards, Teachers need to provide varied learning techniques to reach all types of learners. Teachers need to have classroom management skills to create a safe and harmonious learning environment and teachers need to know how to defuse conflict before it arises when it arises, and if it has escalated to the point of bullying.