In Eldon "Cap" Lee's new book, standards become guidelines for success rather than deadlines for failure as it is recognized that all children are unique, with different brains and different dreams. This leads to the reality that children are children, not branded on their foreheads for their differences but accepted within the wide range of skills and abilities present in all of us. Brainstorming Common Core: Challenging the Way We Think about Education includes ideas developed in the trenches by talking to and servicing parents, educators, and students for over fifty years. This book draws away from an artificial testing based education to one that teaches the whole child. As we brainstorm Common Core we see the necessity to empower children to chase their dreams and follow their pathway to success, parents to become full partners in the process, and educators to take back their profession. “Moving us away from a fail/pass, test-based system, Lee dares us to imagine schools that incorporate hands-on, proficiency-based curriculum that will propel students into being lifelong learners who are prepared to meet future challenges.” ―Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO “Eldon "Cap" Lee has a unique way of poking holes in common treatments of schooling and reform that makes everyone within a moderate distance of his sphere take pause. With this book, Cap cautions us to take stock of Common Core's impact....not simply its intent. He challenges us to reconcile our philosophy with practice so that the phenomenon of high standards is a matter of application and not just one of rhetoric.” ―Angela Dye, PhD, CEO/Senior Consultant, PBS Development, LLC “As I read this book I thought so much of the Mc Donough #15 Creative Arts School that my son attended in New Orleans in the 1990’s. This school and its concept no longer exist, however, if New Orleans wants real reform they would revisit that school as well as utilize the concepts in this book instead of forcing test driven reform. It’s a great book!” ―Karran Harper Royal, Education Advocate, New Orleans Eldon “Cap” Lee attended Eastern Michigan University and after many years of struggle and a short campus career in rock and roll to support his education, he decided to go to classes and settled into the teaching profession. From the moment he started teaching at a small Catholic school in Michigan, he knew the rules had to be changed. He then travelled to Wisconsin to join the teaching staff at Milwaukee Public Schools. There he earned his master’s degree at Cardinal Stritch College. After fifteen years of complete enjoyment he left teaching to be a school administrator, climbing the ladder of success only to yearn for the good old days surrounded by more kids than adults.