Great Minds (Common Core, Inc.)

Background

Great Minds was founded as Common Core, Inc. in 2007 prior to the formation of the Common Core State Standards for schools. The organization grew rapidly following the rapid adoption of the Common Core State Standards, which were heavily funded and developed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. ^{3 4}

While early tax documents from Common Core Inc. did not mention the Common Core State Standards by name, the organization’s revenue jumped by $1 million in 2010 following the adoption of Common Core Standards by many states. In 2010, Common Core, Inc. also paid DC-based education consultant Sheila Byrd $113,000 for “curriculum mapping.” Byrd was an external reviewer of CCSS ELA standards. Common Core Inc.’s first board of directors included Antonia Cortese as co-chair of the board, who at the time was the Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) labor union. ³

Name Change

In 2015, Common Core, Inc. changed its name to Great Minds, which coincided with a decline in popularity of the term “Common Core” following increased criticism of the standards from right-leaning organizations and pundits. ³

Curriculum

After changing its name, Great Minds retained the name of its most well-known program, Eureka Math, which was developed when the state of New York contracted Great Minds (then Common Core, Inc.) to create a math curriculum that was initially known as EngageNY and funded by $14 million in federal funds. Eureka Math quickly spread to other states, and was reportedly used by a majority of elementary school teachers in Common Core states according to a 2015 survey. ⁵

The organization also offers a humanities curriculum called Wit & Wisdom, and the organization defensively claims that “The much-loved books in Wit & Wisdom do not teach critical race theory (CRT) and the program is in full compliance with all federal and state laws.” The organization also has authored one-page statements claiming that the curriculum does not violate state laws, including Florida’s Stop WOKE (Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees) Act. ^{6 7}

People

Great Minds is led by executive director Lynne Munson. Munson has led the group since it was founded as Common Core, Inc. in 2007. She was the deputy chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) from 2001 to 2005, overseeing all agency operations. During her tenure, Lynne spearheaded the creation of “Picturing America,” a national public humanities project. From 1993 to 2001, Lynne was a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). ⁸ Munson receives over $700,000 in annual compensation from Great Minds according to 2019 tax documents. ¹

Chi Kim is the chair of the Great Minds board of directors and is also affiliated with a variety of left-of-center organizations. She is a former principal and schools superintendent in California and was a program officer for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation from 2011 to 2012. She is also a board member or advisor for the Vital Voices Global Partnership, FairVote, YouthBuild USA, and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). ⁹