The Common(wealth) Core

Five years in, how are Massachusetts educators adapting to the implementation of Common Core State Standards in their classrooms? Overall, they are doing well, says Lindsay Sobel, Massachusetts senior executive director of Teach Plus, an organization that works to empower teachers as leaders and problem-solvers. In fact many teachers recognize and appreciate the opportunity to integrate more lessons in critical thinking and up the levels of rigor in their instruction. Still, professional development and support is needed as educators continue to work to adapt to the new standards. The best source? The teachers themselves.

"When you've got new standards," says Sobel, "the only people who really know what they are doing — and the only people who've really experienced it — are fellow teachers."

In this edition of the Harvard EdCast, Sobel takes the pulse of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in Massachusetts schools, and discusses Teach Plus' role in helping teachers lead the way.

About the Harvard EdCast

The Harvard EdCast is a weekly series of podcasts, available on the Harvard University iTunes U page, that features a 15-20 minute conversation with thought leaders in the field of education from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Matt Weber, the Harvard EdCast is a space for educational discourse and openness, focusing on the myriad issues and current events related to the field.