But that's the reason why they are doing common core. To get kids how to THINK about why and how they solve their problems.
We live in a society where we give out answers to kids and even the teachers don't know how to do it. It's not because it's convoluted but because they spent all their time memorizing answers such as 5 x 5 = 25 but they never taught kids the concept of multiplication, that 5 x 5 is conceptually the concept of 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 25.
You can ask yourself why thinking critically is needed but don't complain that common core is "too hard" when your African brothers, UK bloats, Indian and Asian brothers and sisters around the globe are lap America for the uptenth time and they are being hired for jobs because companies are finding more and more Americans are woefully unqualified to be employed because they are too afraid of having to think.