As a parent of a kid in a well-run Common Core program, yes. The goal appears to be to teach numeracy and concepts beyond just the rote application of formulai

As a parent of a kid in a well-run Common Core program, yes. The goal appears to be to teach numeracy and concepts beyond just the rote application of formulaic solutions. When it's done well, you get students who can come at a problem from multiple directions, allowing progress even when they can't necessarily apply one solution correctly.