Here are some Q&As regarding what the Common Core Standards are from the "official" Common Core website, and here is the page that leads you to the actual standards.
The Connecticut Department of Education webpage on Common Core has a link to a video explaining the government's view on why Common Core is important:
And here is a video explaining some of why Common Core is not a good idea:
Interestingly, the Common Core State Standards are actually copyrighted and specifically not guaranteed to work.
"NGA Center/CCSSO shall be acknowledged as the sole owners and developers
of the Common Core State Standards, and no claims to the contrary shall
be made.
"THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS ARE PROVIDED AS-IS AND WITH ALL FAULTS,
AND NGA CENTER/CCSSO MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND,
EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION,
WARRANTIES OF TITLE, MERCHANTIBILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE,
NONINFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, OR THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF ERRORS,
WHETHER OR NOT DISCOVERABLE."