A couple of weeks ago I posted the question, “What is Common Core? Is it good or bad?” on my personal Facebook page and within minutes my wall had exploded with opinions, videos, articles, and more. Some were totally against it, some loved it. After the 3rd comment I stopped reading and decided that I needed to do some unbiased research, before I read anymore comments! It was a 2 week journey and I wanted to share with you what I have learned–just in case you are researching too! *The opinions expressed below are Cj’s (writer and contributor at I Love My Kids blog) Not the blog owner or other blogger’s views. They are also, just that, my views. The facts presented below were all found on http://www.corestandards.org/. I wanted to make a post that cleared up some of the confusion I found myself in. Hope this is helpful. (It is quite long-but at the very end I posted a summary paragraph-just in case you are in a rush)
(Note: This article has been updated as I continue to learn more about common core-any new information is posted in green)
SIMPLE Definition of Common Core Standards
Common Core Standards essentially are a “list” of what your child will learn in each grade level. That is it! They call it Common Core because if all the states (currently 45 states have adopted it) it would be common and each state would be teaching the same things in each grade level. With that said I have a personal story to share with you:
Over Christmas break when I was in 3rd grade my family moved from sunny Las Vegas to freezing middle of no where eastern Montana. On my first day of 3rd grade in my new town/state I quickly realized that all the students in Mrs. Mandigo’s class were writing perfect cursive. In MT students learned cursive in 2nd grade-they had been writing for over a year. In Nevada they learned it after Christmas break in 3rd grade. I was behind. Still to this day (and I am in my 30’s now) my cursive is STILL terrible and incorrect. Here is a picture of me when I was in 3rd grade holding my new baby sister!
In this situation, Common Core would have been helpful for me. No matter where I moved to or from, I wouldn’t be behind. Another reason Common Core was implemented is because when recent High School graduates, when testing for placement at college, would be placed in a basic math class (classes that were High School level). So Common Core Standards are aimed at college readiness. They said, at college level the students should be HERE. So in 12th grade they should be HERE. So in 11th grade they should learn this, this and this. ALL the way down to Kindergarten. The Common Core Standards are just that, standards-or a guideline of what should be taught in each grade.
I also found out that before Common Core was implemented in MT my school had it’s own set of standards, they weren’t “common” with other states but they were “common” with other schools within my state. (I didn’t even know this!) Standards have been part of our schools for decades. So I decided I didn’t need to be worried about all of the sudden having standards because it wasn’t really all of the sudden.
While I was researching I saw TONS of terrible videos showing the insides of text books for 1st and 2nd graders. I couldn’t BELIEVE what was written in them. As soon as I saw them I was sure that I “hated” Common Core for putting things like that into the minds of my little girls! After some research I realized that Common Core does NOT publish ANY workbooks, textbooks, any kind of curriculum, etc. All of those videos I watched enraged me (THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY at minute 1:45)…but they got me angry at the WRONG thing. I realized that ANY publisher can smack the words “Common Core Aligned” and teach/say whatever they want. Here is a perfect example.
For 1st graders a Common Core standard is:
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.4 Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
Please note: it doesn’t say HOW to teach it, it just says what your 1st grader should be able to do at the end of 1st grade.
A textbook publisher gets to decide how they want it taught in THEIR book. You can read under the green underlined section it says, “…look at the emotional words and phrases the writer used.”
You can see the standard is being taught…but guess how this publisher is teaching my 6 year old to recognize those words? With sentences like this:
Oh my word, if my child came home and said this sentence to me….there would be trouble! This workbook is NOT put out by Common Core. There is NO Common Core Standard that says teach your students to disrespect their parents by using emotional words. This could be taught a totally different way, it doesn’t have to be negative like this publisher chose to do! I have since learned that ONE publishing company which happens to be the one pictured above holds 75% of the textbook market. These books may be hard to avoid–so watch your children’s books closely and PLEASE make it known your feelings to your local school board.
I hope that makes sense. It isn’t Common Core I should be angry at, it is this stinkin’ publisher! I am in Montana and the selection of the curriculum (curriculum meaning-text books, workbooks, etc) and supporting materials is a local decision that is approved by local school boards. Each State is different, so you may need to research your own state out. To avoid this terrible book from ever getting into my 1st grader’s hands is to be active in my own community and be aware of what is approved for my school!
Now that we all understand that all of these terrible workbooks aren’t really from Common Core, let’s address a couple other concerns that had me worried.
Are student test results really tied to funding and teacher’s jobs?
Before I researched this out I heard: 1) Schools only have 1 way to teach these kids these standards. 2) If they want $$/jobs the students have to perform well on these “high stakes” tests. Don’t those sound awful? After reading through the standards, I realized it isn’t dictated by Common Core–it is at a state or local level depending on your state’s legislature. These high stake tests were introduced with “No Child Left Behind” –it’s been going on for YEARS-I am totally against these high stake tests. Most children don’t perform well in those situations and guess who ties the funding to the results….you guessed it, your STATE legislature! The high stake tests are NOT part of Common Core AND I recommend gathering your friends and calling your legislator today about getting rid of those high stake tests! Especially if they are tied to funding like they are in many states!
What is this “New Math” in Common Core that says if a child says 2+2=5 they are right if they can prove it?
We all know that 2+2=4. Why? Because my 1st grader teacher told me so and I memorized it–honestly, that is how I do know! After reading through the new Common Core Standards carefully this “new math” wants the children to not just “know” the answer but understand why 2+2=4. That may seem silly and basic at this point, BUT as your student gets farther along in school and the math gets harder, it is smarter to “understand” why you do what you do in math reasoning. Here is a common core math standard for 2nd graders:
- CCSS.Math.Content.2.NBT.B.9 Explain why addition and subtraction strategies work, using place value and the properties of operations.1
That standard does NOT say if you think 2+2=5 then you are right if you can explain it. It says, explain why 2+2 makes sense to equal 4. I think this is VERY misunderstood and it isn’t true that a child can say a wrong answer and be right.
The “old math” that you and I were taught in school was based on algorithms (or a “formula” designed to figure out the answer). Common Core instead of teaching 1 algorithm (like you and I learned-which I do think is easier) will teach a few different methods to do a math problem. I WISH I could find the video I watched about this that made it so much more understandable for me…I will keep looking.
The terms for things are changing as well. My 2nd grader came home and told me they started a “re-grouping” chapter in math- I said what on EARTH is re-grouping? Turns out it is the same as carrying the 1 when subtracting. I do find this annoying that everything is being re-defined, it makes me less able to help my daughter if she has questions.
Do they really take a bunch of personal information and report it to the Federal Government?
Nope! Common Core are just a “list” of what you should learn in each grade. They do NOT take personal information at all. Although, there are some states (like NY & IL) that have implemented a computer system for their Common Core. All the data is stored by a company and that information is not protected. I am thankful that I am in MT and still have student privacy protocol. The privacy is determined at a state level. So if you are concerned about student information CALL you Legislator and ask for it to be protected!
Are they really not teaching cursive anymore?
I heard that this new Common Core won’t teach cursive anymore…that made me sad. Until I realized that “teach cursive” wasn’t in several states standards before Common Core was implemented. It was just assumed that you learned it in those states. Your local leaders can adjust the Common Core standards to fit your community as needed/desired! Up to 15% can be changed.
Ahhhhh this is so much to take in-Can you just summarize it?
Oh, I totally understand! I was there 2 weeks ago and have DUG my heels into this topic. To Summarize, my research on Common Core Standards have brought me to these conclusions:
- Common Core Standards are VERY misunderstood!
- It is NOT workbooks, textbooks that are trying to socialize and indoctrinate my children (they don’t make these or dictate how it is to be taught), it is a “list” of what my child should learn in each grade to be ready to enter college level classes after high school graduation. The publisher can “write” Common Core approved on the cover without any reviews.
- They do NOT collect personal information to give to the government.
- Almost EVERYTHING is decided at a local level–get involved with your school board, they are the ones that choose which textbooks make it into your children’s hands!
- Common Core does NOT have special or required testing. These “high stake” tests have been going on for years and are dictated by your state legislature. If these tests are tied to the teacher’s job or the schools funding that is a choice that your state government has made, not Common Core.
- Your local leaders can change/edit/add/remove ANYTHING they want from these Common Core Standards (like adding cursive teaching into them)
- Definitions in math are changing as well as implementing different methods to teach how to “solve” the problem.
- I honestly think a “set standard” for all states make sense….with that said, I do feel there is an underlying issue of “giving power” to the federal government by accepting these standards. When we conform to what the rest of the country is doing, accept federal funds, etc. then we have to do what we are told to do. That is when the states lose power of what is best for their local people. After gathering information for the last several months I’ve decided that although the idea of it all is great and I am supportive of that aspect, I am NOT supportive of having the decision power taken away from our local leaders who know what is best for our area.
As I mentioned above, this is what I came up with when I researched this out unbiased. You can choose what you want to choose to feel about this matter. I know this is a VERY touchy subject and was nervous to post on the blog for fear of offending someone, but I wish that when I was researching someone would have had a summary like this for me to read!
Now I want you to form your own opinion. Go right now and look at the Math Standards for the grade your child/grandchild is in. Click the Grade (on left column). Then click the “Introduction” for that grade. Save yourself a little confusing reading and go straight to the “overview” (just by scrolling down a bit). This will tell you what your child should learn that school year. That is ALL Common Core Standards are. A LIST of what a child should learn in a grade.
I HOPE that this has been helpful for you! I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a blog post comment below!
Disclosure: NO one asked me to post this, but I have been working hard on trying to understand it and wanted to share. The views expressed above are Cj’s views, not this blog or any other person associated with this blog!
What is Common Core, is it Good or Bad?
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Thank you for your blog posting! I see Common Core from two different viewpoints as I am both a mother and a teacher. The standardization of education across the country is probably one of my favorite parts of it. I live and work in San Diego, Ca which is heavily populated by military families (like my own). There are so many issues between what is taught when in each state and Common Core makes sure that what I am teaching my kids in 2nd grade is the same stuff that a teacher in Florida or Maine is teaching. Common Core also puts more weight behind understanding what is being learned rather than simply memorizing facts and figures. It teaches students to become more analytical in their learning.
In FL it seems all the teachers cared about was the FCAT test. This is all they taught. Then during the test, the teachers would walk around the room and if the student got a question wrong, they’d tap the desk, cough, anything to let them know it’s wrong. Some teachers even went through and corrected the wrong answers themselves. I was born and raised in FL and put 4 kids through the Duval/Clay school system. When we moved to where we are now, my kid who got 4-5’s on their standardized tests was, yep, behind.
While common core standards do not mandate high stakes testing, they are directly tried to it. The CCSS were developed by people who are not educators and do not like the public school system (think Bill and Melinda Gates). If states wanted the Race to the Top monies, they were required to adopt the CCSS and implement accountability measures otherwise known as standardized testing. So no, the standards don’t say we have to test the daylighting out I our kids but the reason we even have te CCSS does. Slippery slope of politics. As a teacher, I like the idea of a set of knowledge and skills for each grade level in our country. It’s logical and helpful for all involved. Just came about in on a political agenda tied to money.
High Stakes testing are tied to whatever standards a state is using – they’ve been around for a long time. They’ve been used – inappropriately — since No Child Left Behind was instituted a dozen years ago. No Child Left Behind was supposed to be fixed 7 years ago, but Congress can’t seem to agree on anything right now… States are now getting “waivers” from NCLB, but many are implementing their own versions of high stakes testing like School Grading, or requiring teachers’ evaluations to be based on their students’ test scores.
It’s a common myth that the standards were developed by non-educators or non-specialists in the fields of math and English. But the list of experts on the writing team, work/feedback team, and validation team is actually pretty impressive and they come from universities all over the country.
Many states who did not get Race to the Top grants adopted the standards anyway (AFTER they didn’t get the grants) and I believe I read there were even some states who didn’t adopt the standards at all but got Race to the Top grants anyway (the points awarded on the Race to the Top application for adopting the standards were worth only 8% of the total application).
Unfortunately, many politicians feel like the only way to improve or reform education is to increase the pressure on teachers and schools — make them “accountable” through the use of high stakes testing. BAD BAD idea (and, thankfully, not written into the new Common Core Standards).
You are right on the mark with the bottom line here: parents and community members need to be involved in what is being taught in their local schools. People who actually take the time to read the Common Core standards are often surprised (“this is what the standards actually look like? this is it?”) and then typically supportive of these grade-by-grade expectations. The curriculum, materials, methods, etc. used to teach these expectations varies by teacher, school and state — and that’s where parents need to keep a watchful eye, just as involved parents have been keeping a watchful eye in the past over what their children were learning in school. As Angelica has pointed out, Common Core Standards are beneficial to military students who may transfer schools 4, 5, 8 or even 10 times before they graduate. The national association of military families has embraced Common Core Standards.
Thank you for doing all of the work and posting your conclusion for all to read! This was very helpful to me as I, too, was trying to find the truth!!
So I haven’t done any of my own research yet..need to find the time. But this is exactly what I felt Common Core really was. I have so many friends (and family) that are completely against common core because of those textbook examples.
Thank you for doing the research and encouraging us to do our own. I appreciate this unbiased view on it.
I find this blog post to be very insightful when it comes to the misunderstandings about the common core. Both of my children have started the common core this year in New York. For my youngest the change seems to be pretty easy since she hasn’t been in school that long. For my oldest who is in middle school he is struggling a bit with the math. As a matter of fact last year New York State decided to give kids the new common core exam in Math and ELA at the end of the year without having prepped them for it during the year. The scores on the Math dropped tremendously across the state. Well what did they expect since they did not teach the kids these new methods during the year. Anyway I find your interpretation of the common core to be very interesting. You are right the common core just sets up the guidelines and standards that are to be met. The publishers of the textbooks have to interpret them and create usable material. That video that you posted is scary. It seems like the material was created for a social activist school. Like the author is trying to create children who question their parents and see them as the enemy. It reminded me of a scene from the movie 1984 where the children are ready to turn in their parents for going against the establishment even it would mean their parents imprisonment or death. I am thinking that I have to take a closer look at my children’s textbooks to see how they are being taught this new common core. Sometimes I tell you home schooling looks more and more appealing.
Did you find any connection between common core and a treaty called agenda 21. Also what did you think of stimulus money being used as a carrot to get states to sign on to common core ? I do not see any negative findings in your post and it looks and sounds like the same extremist propaganda both sides are useing . The only difference is that the pro common core side is extremely well funded . As a Dad I can say we have been asleep as a brave new world of thinking has changed the way we think about freedom and communism and now we have them confused .
David, you should read these articles for ties from Agenda 21 into Common Core.
http://www.utahnsagainstcommoncore.com/agenda/
http://www.utahnsagainstcommoncore.com/does-u-n-s-agenda-21-education-mandate-push-common-core-in-usa/
Just FYI for the blog author, the fight against Common Core was never about the standards themselves, although they are weak and even the authors have admitted they are only meant to prepare students for non-selective colleges. There are problems with them, but it’s the overarching agenda which is all encompassing that requires broad research and tying things together which provides the true concerns.
That’s my video of the ELA book above by the way. It’s an horrific textbook for 1st graders. However, the Utah State Office of Education has put that book on it’s list of recommended books for schools to use. Schools look to this state database for the best curriculum that aligns to Common Core. The publisher obviously has an agenda. The Utah DOE folks seem to find themselves in agreement with that agenda. That’s a bad combination for our schools.
Schools use and publishers use this group to often determine the materials used.
http://www.achievethecore.org/about-us
Is that really unbiased information? That a few of the authors of CC are an in an advisory position for the material?
Why did Sandra Stotsky from the DOE reject the standards and withdraw from the review board?
Why are Catholic folks in such a rage over the implementation of CC into our schools?
Might be more avenues to research to truly see the big picture.
I am in NY, we are ahead of most states for rollout by almost two years. The 1st year the test were admined, 70% of the students failed. NY taught cursive, CC ended it. Do you realize how critical this is???? IN 20 years, those attempting to read curisve will have no cllue- it will be like heiroglyphics to them–it is necessary to promote literacy across generations!
Please research the “Exemplar” ELA reading list. There are more “instruction manuals” (how to follow directions) than Classic Literature. The list of “suggested” reading, there is stuff on there that should barely be appropriate for College aged reading. What is to stop the Nationalized testing from having a “de facto” reading list? Where the highly questionable stuff will be on the tests.
If it is “good” why are so many states fighting it? Even NY has filed formal paper work to withdraw. The problem is that states/schools accepted the grant money for RTTT and then was handed an entirely new set of standards, NO ONE locally was ever consulted. This is Federal Control, “you want the money, you must adopt these standards”–otherwise do without.
There will be a Nationalized test, it is a must for “common” standards. See PARCC
Please research what “personally identifiable: info. can be shared. Specifically “BIOMETRICS.”
Also, research who can access your child’s information via these codes and laws–WITHOUT your consent.INformation sharing is geared up for a national, centralized database.
I strongly urge you to continue your research.
http://www.utahnsagainstcommoncore.com/7-links-to-evidence-of-federal-control-of-common-core/
This article makes it look like teachers or even administrators have a choice about what they use and how they teach with common core. It would be a great isea if they just had basic standards and could adapt them any way they want to> That IS NOT how it is working out and as far as the publishing companies a few companies mostly Pearson and McGraw Hill have the monopoly on that and are making millions. The states that give them(million dollar) contracts then HAVE to accept the textbooks, the Inappropriate worksheets, test prep materials and the tests themselves!! As far as the private info in the cloud most states are backing out of that as it was and is VERY invasive recording children’s SS # and info about Parental income! and as we all know these are never absolutely without a doubt secure The Govt Sec agencies are not even secure!! here is some info from a blogspot Peg With A Pen on Common Core! – While the common core may not be an issue for you, or your school, do know that for others it will be a major issue. And the problem is this, while the standards might work for you and your school, there are many standards in CC that do not work for many students and many communities. Creating a set of national standards that cannot be changed, in which only 15% can be added (which must be approved by the DOE) is a serious problem when we know that the K-3 standards are developmentally inappropriate and will CRUSH children in high need/high poverty schools. There is no picking and choosing with CC – it’s all or nothing – therefore, many children will be failed under this system. Your children may be unscathed, but for the students in my school – it will be devastating. The CC will fail many students, teachers, schools, communities. So, that’s just my take on it when considering the standards as an innocent stand alone – which they are NOT. And of course, let’s remember that they were not created by classroom teachers and they have never been field tested, this alone is enough for me to refuse the CC because I find it highly shocking that anyone thinks it is acceptable to use children as guinea pigs for an experiment created by the 1%.
However, let’s then take a look at CC for the monster it truly is – let’s throw out the whole conversation about good standards/bad standards because bottom line is that the bigger picture is not so much about the standards as it is about how well we and our children can be controlled and managed by the CC. This is about using the standards to gather data in order to control students, teachers – pretty much the whole damn system, so that they can determine how we will be used – to meet their needs- in this game called life. This is about profit via data mining. This is about creating a class of workers to meet the needs of the 1%. This is about taking public education and managing it and US – because right now, there are too many of us out there that think out of the box – teachers and children who think creatively and independently are dangerous to their ultimate goal. They don’t need us to create or be independent – they need us to follow rules. When Obama and Gates’ children follow the common core and their teachers administer PARCC or SBA – somebody can tell me I’m wrong. In the meantime, just know that when PARCC or SBA roll out in 2014-2015 they will have placed one more nail in the faster-every-day death of public education, the destruction of the teaching profession, and this dying democracy. So, we MUST refuse it as a society – and quick – they will continue to create rules and regulations that make it even harder to rebuild our schools..our democracy.As a teacher, take and use what works for you – just like you would any textbook or any curriculum back in the day when we had teacher autonomy – but as a collective we MUST refuse it in its entirety – we cannot pick/choose – therefore it – along with HST must go. CC and HST will never be separated because they need the two working together in order to complete their plan. There is no autonomy – for anyone – within their plan. And just know that all this crap recently about giving us flexibility and holding off on teacher evaluation etc. etc. in order to allow us time to embrace the common core is nothing but crap – they will use this time of “flexibility” to create more ways to enforce their plan while the majority of educators breathe a big sigh of relief and think they are getting a break…they think that the 1% heard them and supports them. Bull@%$^. Do not be appeased – they are planning as we speak to devise ways to shut us down. We must stay awake and we must refuse.
I didn’t realize I repeated much of what you said, sorry!!
This article is deceptive and misleading! If you are not afraid to get it straight,
read and study each of the following links by Charlotte Isorbyt:
THIS IS AN IN DEPTH EDUCATION OF THE SUBJECT.
If these links do not open, copy and past into search and hit go.
Elected Boards, The Lynch Pin of Freedom, 9-13-13
Conservative Treason: Selling Out Your Children, 9-4-13
Win the Common Core Battle But Lose the War?, 8-21-13
School Choice and Charters Will Kill Private Education, Part 2, 6-21-13
School Choice and Charters Will Kill Private Education, Part 1, 6-21-13
School Choice is America’s Trojan Horse, Part 2, 6-12-13
School Choice is America’s Trojan Horse, Part 1, 6-12-13
THANK YOU! For actually researching (ie reading the CC and not just opinions) and not simply regurgitating OPINION articles with no research/resource basis (like the previous posters are reposting). You said it over, and over again, the decisions the posters are complaining about are STATE or DISTRICT choices, NOT CC, so get involved if you don’t like how it is being implemented! But don’t complain about the wrong things and confuse the issue. Educate yourself first. As a teacher in an urban, high need/high poverty school, with children in a high poverty rural school, I completely disagree that these standards will crush anyone. If they are taught appropriately (and, yes, teachers have a lot more autonomy than claimed) children can thrive.
This program is untested, and our teachers are not trained to teach it. What is happening in my child’s school is an educational travesty. Our kids are being used in a giant experiment. It is just wrong.
From the official CC website FAQ’s (http://www.corestandards.org/resources/frequently-asked-questions ) it is clearly stated that the expectation is for the states to use common textbooks, media, and tests. Here is the quote:
“Unlike previous state standards, which were unique to every state in the country, the Common Core State Standards enable collaboration between states on a range of tools and policies, including:
the development of textbooks, digital media, and other teaching materials aligned to the standards;
and the development and implementation of common comprehensive assessment systems to measure student performance annually that will replace existing state testing systems”
We can lure ourselves into believing that individual districts and states have control, but that is not really what common core is about. Everyone will eventually be required to conform, and we will have put our kids in the hands of a very few who write the curriculum and whatever their views and values are.
A tiny group of people are deciding what will be taught to all of the children in our nation. That is so limiting. My kids have moved across the country and have had to deal with “catching up” in some subjects and they were ahead in others. It is called “adapting.” Human beings, particularly children, can adapt. It is ridiculous to think it is better that all kids learn the same thing the same way based on a small group’s ideas and ideals. Variety is always better. It gives us CHOICES. It allows us to be FREE to choose who educates our children and how. If we hate what one school is doing, or if our child is not thriving, we can move, or homeschool, or find a private or alternative solution. If CC continues, all of our choices are in jeopardy. Our freedom to control the education of our own children is in jeopardy. Allowing the federal government to control education is wrong.
Thank you for this well-written and well-researched blog post. Being an individual who thrives reading first-hand resources, would you be willing to edit this blog post to include links to all of the resources you used to discover this information? That would certainly equip people like me who would love to share true insights about the Common Core with people straight from the horse’s mouth.
Thanks!
This whole post is riddled with misinformation. First, let me preface with my background. I was a third grade teacher at one of the top private schools in Utah. Our curriculum was amazing and our students took the SAT by 6th grade. Many did not need to continue after middle school because of how advanced they were. I was privileged to see what worked and was appalled with what was happening in the public schools with Common Core, I have since resigned from my post and dedicated my life to fighting Common Core. I will be writing a series of comments throughout the week addressing all the misinformation given in this blog post. First off, data collecting. What you said about data is not only wrong but is very detrimental to parents reading your blog. Your children are homeschooled and may not be at risk, but that is not the case for most. The Federal government helped fund Common Core through Race to the Top grants that gained funding through the the Obama Stimulus. When states were granted RTTT grants, one of the stipulations was that the state must set up longitudinal data systems which would feed into Amplify or InBloom. If you don’t know about these companies, you have not done your research.The longitudinal data systems collect 400 data points involving information about the student’s home life and behavior issues. These are P20 longitudinal data systems meaning this information will follow the child from pre-K to college. In regards to the data collected, it is all subjective according to the teacher. If the teacher is having a bad day and comments on the child’s behavior, it cannot be undone, that follows the children into college. If your state accepted the RTTT grant they MUST get into this system. Every state is involved, if you email me I can give you state specific info for your state. Many people will claim FERPA protects children’s privacy from this kind of intrusion. False. Terms in FERPA were altered to allow third party sharing. “School Officials” now mean anyone who the district seems worthy. This leaves your student’s info very vulnerable. NY parents are so concerned because they are worried about the amount of personal info being shared, that they have brought suit against the state. So, though the Common Core standards themselves do not require data collecting, the grants that funded Common Core do. So to say that data is not at all linked to Common Core is a flat out lie.
Oops! Typo! *Many did not need to continue after middle school because of how advanced they were
PLEASE if you need more info email me at Bhemsath @ freedomworks dot org I can send you links and more info that is state specific. I can also send you resources to handout.
thank you, britt! there are so many serious problems with the information given here!
Thank you Brittany. Agreed!! As a parent I hate the idea that my child could be labeled for life in the school system. But hey if I get involved on my state level it will ensure that this will never happen and that the federal government can’t buy it’s way into our schools—which they have already clearly done. good post, but clearly some info was left out. sorry, just saying. It’s not about the curriculum alone, but something much more than that. Something bigger at work here.
http://whatiscommoncore.wordpress.com/
Thank you for posting this article. I have also researched this new program and agree with many of it’s “core” values. My biggest concern is…..If a teach or school can decide what and how is taught it is no longer “Common Core”. Classes and grades will probably not be taught the same leading us back to the same problem this program was developed to correct. I am also very concerned with the terrible books and workbooks that could be purchased and introduced to our children with no funds left to replace them once they have been purchased. Are there any controls out there in place to prevent this? One thing I am happy about…..the high pressure testing will hopefully be gone.