Common Core homework helper takes 56 seconds to solve 9+6

A television station in Buffalo, New York, is airing a series of Common Core homework help programs in honor of back-to-school week, and the time it takes to solve some pretty simple problems is causing people to question just what the Common Core standards are.
The Daily Signal reports that teachers on the NBC affiliate station WGRZ take turns each morning explaining how to solve a basic homework question, and spend "a few minutes explaining the methodology required to solve it. Each lesson takes a little over one minute for the teacher to explain."
The Common Core standards favor understanding over memorization. Adding 9 and 6 took almost a full minute for one teacher to explain. "Our young learners might not be all together comfortable with thinking about what 9 plus 6 is," the instructor says.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Watch a video of a the segment below. --Teresa Mull
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Harvard sues Trump over frozen grant money
Speed Read The Trump administration withheld $2.2 billion in federal grants and contracts after Harvard rejected its demands
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump tariffs place trucking industry in the crosshairs
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the White House barrels ahead with its massive tariff project, American truckers are feeling the heat from a global trade war
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Harvard sues Trump over frozen grant money
Speed Read The Trump administration withheld $2.2 billion in federal grants and contracts after Harvard rejected its demands
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Harvard loses $2.3B after rejecting Trump demands
speed read The university denied the Trump administration's request for oversight and internal policy changes
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
USC under fire for canceling valedictorian speech
Speed Read Citing safety concerns, the university canceled a pro-Palestinian student's speech
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Florida teachers can 'say gay' under settlement
speed read The state reached a settlement with challengers of the 2022 "Don't Say Gay" education law
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Biden administration to forgive $39B in student loan debt for 800K borrowers
Speed Read
By Theara Coleman
-
Advocacy groups challenge Harvard's legacy admissions policy
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia
-
2 Michigan school districts ban backpacks after confiscating 4th gun this year
Speed Read
By Theara Coleman
-
Education Department to limit bans on transgender student athletes but allow exceptions
Speed Read
By Peter Weber