Chris Hayes wrongly referred to Common Core as a "standardized curriculum" Monday on All In.
The MSNBC host was describing the program which he said may pose a political challenge for prospective GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush.
"This is something that Jeb Bush is very associated with now. The idea behind the Common Core is basically there should be a standardized curriculum across all 50 states, that everyone - there are certain things that every fourth grader in this country from Alabama, to Maine, to Texas should know," he said.
Contrary to Hayes's assertion, the Common Core State Standards Initiative is actually a set of educational standards, not a standardized curriculum. Curricula and how schools comply with the standards are left up to school districts. The National Review reports:
Here’s what the Common Core State Standards do: They simply delineate what children should know at each grade level and describe the skills that they must acquire to stay on course toward college or career readiness. They are not a curriculum; it’s up to school districts to choose curricula that comply with the standards. The Fordham Institute has carefully examined Common Core and compared it with existing state standards: It found that for most states, Common Core is a great improvement with regard to rigor and cohesiveness.