Turn to classics instead of Common Core

Terrence Moore didn’t plan a crusade against the Common Core education push. He was just minding his business while teaching history at Hillsdale College in Michigan and helping start classical schools.

A former Marine with a doctorate in history, Moore was founding principal of a classical school in Colorado. He researched Common Core after hearing about Indianapolis mothers Heather Crossin and Erin Tuttle. They were troubled by what they saw of Common Core in their children’s schools, and they wanted someone with academic credentials to take a harder look.

The result is a 263-page book, “The Story-Killers,” which goes beyond the usual critique of Common Core.

Yes, there’s big money to be made on Common Core by textbook publishers and testing companies. Yes, Common Core can be a federal government tool to nationalize education, even though governors initiated the idea.

But Moore goes deeper and takes apart Common Core for its failure to take advantage of the great traditions of classical education. He’s unhappy about the Core tossing out classical stories in favor of informational texts.

“The Common Core and the textbook editors are replacing the classic stories with postmodern tales of cynicism and ennui,” he writes in the book. “Both the human mind and soul long for greatness, for stories that are good and beautiful and true. If we allow our stories to die, our love of the good and the beautiful and the true will die with them.”

As his alternative to Common Core, Moore leans very classical. His reading list would include Plato’s “Republic” in the ninth grade, along with “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” for juniors in high school. He recommends President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society speech for high school government classes, along with the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and Lincoln’s anti-slavery response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision.

Instead of cutting back on literature and history in high school, Moore would beef up the curriculum. He recommends Shakespeare, John Milton and the Magna Carta, along with George Orwell’s “1984.”

Yes, Moore is idealistic. His classic approach may be too hard for many public schools. But Common Core seems to be on its last legs in Indiana. Gov. Mike Pence doesn’t want it, nor does House Speaker Brian Bosma or State Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz. In the debate over something better, the classical advocates like Moore should get equal time. Their classical core has been well tested for many years with good results.

Pulliam is associate editor of The Star. Email him at russell.pulliam@indystar.com