The Common Core State Standards Initiative is the latest development in a long history of standards-based-reform in the United States. As of November 4, 2011, 46 states and the District of Columbia have adopted new curricular standards, called the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). These states and the District of Columbia are now implementing the CCSS and developing a new assessment system to measure student proficiency at those new standards. This study used a survey and interviews to gather teachers' perceptions of CCSS along with their perceptions about the forthcoming, associated assessment system. The sample consisted of teachers from three elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school located throughout two neighboring school districts. Though teachers welcomed any improvement that the CCSS would bring to the status quo, they were still mostly apprehensive because they perceived that the CCSS would still retain many of the problems of current and past standards-based-reform efforts. Teachers ultimately exhibited a limited optimism and held modest expectations. Implications for how these perceptions of the CCSS will bear upon their outcome are discussed. Recommendations for how to proceed with education policy are also offered. Two appendixes present: (1) Survey Questions; and (2) Interview Protocol. (Contains 6 tables.)