DUDE, YOU'RE HARSHING ON THEIR BELLOW:

[I]t turns out that my daughter's experience might be the norm, and the standards and assessments seem to be going far better than many believe. In a recent piece in Columbia Journalism Review, for instance, writer Alexander Russo argues that the "media's coverage of this spring's Common Core testing rollout has been guilty of over-emphasizing the extent of the conflict, speculating dire consequences based on little information."

Russo's reporting reflects my experience, and at my child's school, the administration of the tests appears to be going pretty well. There was no major opt-out effort by parents, or test-prep rallies with kids running through banners. I didn't get any robocalls telling me that my kids would need a good night's rest or hear of any massive technical glitches through the parent grapevine.

And there certainly was no sign of Washington mandating what my kids would learn or be tested on, as some observers have charged. In fact, the weekly email from my daughter's teacher barely mentioned the tests, other than to note that they were happening.

That's not to say that my daughter was all smiles. She later conceded that the English exam had some demanding portions. More difficult was the math test, which she started taking on Tuesday. The exam had some tough questions, and when I spoke to her that evening, she was upset that she didn't know some of the answers. Her favorite experience so far? Her teacher allowing her to chew on mints and gum during the tests.

My daughter's displeasure is to be expected, though. No one really enjoys testing, and for their part, critics overlook the fact that the new standards have done a lot to improve the caliber of tests. As recently as 2012, high schoolers in almost 10 states took English exams without any so-called "extended response items," according to Education Week newspaper. In other words, states tested students in English without actually assessing the student's ability to write an essay. In contrast, the new Common Core tests include writing prompts as well as other items that require students to demonstrate that they really understand what they've learned.

What's more, the standards have helped improve the quality of teaching in many areas. Take Amanda Burdi, a third grade teacher in Bloomingdale, Illinois. In an interview, she told one of my colleagues that the new standards have helped her refine her craft. Before the Common Core, she said, teachers spent little time working together in teams to support student learning. But the new standards have "really opened up that communication for teachers," she said. "There's a lot more conversation about student work."

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