Dispensationalists know E. D. Hirsch best for his work in hermeneutics, where he is a major contributor. Most of the world, however, knows him better for his book Cultural Literacy, in which he argued for the importance of background knowledge as an important key to learning. While Hirsch is personally a liberal, his views on education have become important to many conservatives. They were also important to the people who developed the so-called “Common Core” being used in schools across the country.
Now Hirsch has published a book in which he is sharply critical of the common core. A long-form article at Education Week explores Hirsch’s work and his objections. It’s worth a read.
He calls the reading standards “empty” and “deeply flawed” because they teach all-purpose reading-comprehension strategies rather than facts and information. An entire chapter of his new book is devoted to what he refers to as “the tribulations of the common core.”
