As this article shows, publishers are not debating the Common Core Standards, they are trying to figure out how to align their catalogue with the CCSSI as soon as possible. They don’t want to be left out of the national market for materials aligned to the new standards.

At the same time, they are more than a little concerned about the political waters. They listen, and they know there is pushback from both the left and the right, where the idea of national standards remains anathema.

Some are worried about the apparent downgrading of fiction in the CC standards; some plan to use the suggested reading list as a template. Some authors whose work is on the list are thrilled, as are their publishers. And much remains to be seen about how the CCSI will be rolled out, how it will be implemented, how much money will be available for new materials and professional development in a time of austerity.

Many unanswered questions, and a time of great change.