This is a somewhat political question.

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Common Core Curriculum - is it okay to abandon it?

Why or why not?

What message does it send to the rest of the country if a state rejects it?

Being homeschooled, I think it's good to have a set curriculum. Not sure what that particular set is though for state schools, but if one state rejects a federally mandated curriculum I believe that is within that state's constitutional rights and, hopefully, they may replace it with a better one. There are too many unknown variables for me to make a value judgement on this particular instance though, but I thought I would say something since nobody seemed to be responding to this yet.

It seems in every developed country outside the USA, homeschooling has contributed to the sterotype of ignorant, american rednecks.

Here in the UK, not sending your child to school is criminal negligence and punishable by a custodial sentence.

Theres a damn good reason for that. Not just any idiot can call themselves a teacher, no matter how well meaning. It takes 4 years at university including one year special teacher training. By all means, help your child with their education at home but that should never be a substitute to conventional school.

Abandon it.

It limits a teacher's ability to use their own expertise and unique teaching style when they have to follow common cure.

In particular, I think the "new math" is ridiculous.

Actually, home schooling is legal in the UK, including in Northern Ireland, where you're from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_education_in_the_United_Kingdom

People always want to change math. Math will always be math no matter what they do.

Actually some are rednecks yes, but not everyone. I believe in home schooling because some of the schools are really awful especially where I live. They are near the bottom of the list statistically, lowest test scores in the country. There are some exceptions but the public schools here mostly churn out generations of partial illiteracy and mediocrity. Some do not graduate knowing how to properly spell or construct sentences, although thanks to No Child Left Behind, most of them can at least read some.

40% of students who go on to college from these schools in this state must take a couple of remedial courses before they can college level ones. Most homeschoolers do not need to. So yes, in abysmal areas, home schooling can be an way to get a proper education,, especially since there is a negative learning environment where intelligence is frowned upon. Most the people at the school, especially the kids, are against education. It's a tidal wave of negativity.. The adults criticize any attempt at improving the curriculum. Teachers complain whenever they are asked to do more. They focus on their salaries, not their jobs. They should be passionate about making sure their kids learn what they need to but they aren't. Too grumbly.
Pardon any mistakes in my spelling or grammar, I went to these schools