ABSTRACT
The Common Core Standards (CCS) and critical literacy can co-exist and even support each other. The CCS is a top-down set of national standards, a one size fits all set of learning outcomes that ignores local, regional, and cultural knowledge in our vast and diverse country. The CCS, especially the English Language Arts Standards, is a set of metacognitive processes devoid of culture, critical literacy, and concern for student engagement. In the reading community, there is considerable criticism that the CCS does not attend to the motivational supports that would scaffold student's engagement with difficult text and its analysis. Critical literacy's central purpose is to enhance an equitable and democratic society, and to improve student-citizens skill and disposition to participate effectively in their communities. Critical literacy and social justice education can help future citizens engage in the workplace in more thoughtful, caring and socially responsible ways.
