Text provided for NAACP resolution supporting Common Core Standards

(Following is the text of the NAACP resolution in favor of Common Core Standards._

 Resolution in Support Of 
 COMMON CORE STANDARDS 

Sponsored By: NAACP Missouri State Conference Date Adopted: April 5th
 2014

WHEREAS, in 2007, Common Core Standards - rigorous and high-quality academic and learning
standards - emerged as a strategic response of the National Governor’s Association to address
the growing crisis of low academic expectations, standards and academic achievement by
millions of children in the nation’s schools; and

WHEREAS, Common Core establishes learning and academic standards without infringing on
the rights of State Boards of Education, school districts, schools and teachers to set curriculum,
classroom content, lesson plans or select textbooks; and

WHEREAS, Common Core Standards raise the bar for students, teachers, school districts and
schools and lays the foundation for states and communities to prosper with children who read
well, write well, think critically and are college and career ready; and

WHEREAS, Common Core standards replace the culture of academic remediation with a new
and uplifting culture of academic readiness and gives all of Missouri’s children a genuine
opportunity to succeed in life through a world-class education and provide children in Missouri
high learning expectations as children in Massachusetts or in our high-performing international
competitors; and

WHEREAS, Common Core standards give teachers the space and opportunity to go deep,
emphasize problem-solving, analysis, and critical thinking, creativity, teamwork and innovation;
and

WHEREAS, Common Core sets a high bar for states on issues like closing achievement gaps,
evaluating principals and teachers, and turning around low-performing schools while providing
states with the flexibility and waivers to create better educational opportunities for children from
cradle to career, and

WHEREAS, 45 states and District of Columbia have voluntarily adopted Common Core
Standards and represent the single most important education initiative to level the American
educational playing field since the 1954 Brown versus Board of Education; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Missouri NAACP supports Common Core Standards and
the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) efforts to raise
academic standards and provide school districts and teachers with resources needed to develop
and implement appropriate curriculum and teaching strategies to implement these standards;
and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Missouri NAACP supports quality universal early
childhood education to prepare all Missouri children the opportunity to compete effectively in the
emerging global economy; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Missouri State Conference of Branches will work in
collaboration with parents, the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
(DESE) and other organizations from all over the State, including PTO’s, education reformers,
teachers, chamber leaders, and business representatives, showing the unified support for
Common Core across generations, political lines, and school districts.

 Mary A. Ratliff Wilhelmina L. Stewart
NAACP Missouri State Conference President NAACP Missouri State Conference Secretary