"Teacher of the Year" quits over Common Core tests

[Anonymous]

Please explain further. Is it that you oppose the idea of any standards? Or that you think that the standards that the states had before the Common Core standards were just fine? Or...?

HUGE waste of money is being spent on something that is just not a problem. Standards --or lack of them--is not the problem in education. It is a waste to be focusing on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


The government needs to point out the real problems to the people of this country. This country was actually competing better when it gave more social supports (which have been taken away). We will never get back to that unless we talk about the real problems. As long as the government keeps saying that it's the schools' fault or the teachers' fault, the problems will remain and money will be spent the wrong ways. We can strengthen schools, yes. But if we don't pay attention to other parts of a child's life, we will never rise to the top with the tests. The school is not the center of the child's life (nor the most important social unit). The family is. Children spend way more time at home and in the community than they do in the schools. The family gives the emotional support that is necessary for any kind of success. A teacher cannot give that to a student---even the very best teacher cannot do that.


The people in this country are not interested in the real problems. There is no popular support for the policies you're calling for.

Source for this? This is your opinion---nothing more.

Yes, Americans are interested in trumped up problems. You can tell by the number of people excited about the Common Core. Lots of support out there---people just couldn't wait for it to get to their schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Please explain further. Is it that you oppose the idea of any standards? Or that you think that the standards that the states had before the Common Core standards were just fine? Or...?

HUGE waste of money is being spent on something that is just not a problem. Standards --or lack of them--is not the problem in education. It is a waste to be focusing on this.

So you're saying that standards are not relevant in education. As far as you're concerned, there shouldn't be any standards at all. Yes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


The government needs to point out the real problems to the people of this country. This country was actually competing better when it gave more social supports (which have been taken away). We will never get back to that unless we talk about the real problems. As long as the government keeps saying that it's the schools' fault or the teachers' fault, the problems will remain and money will be spent the wrong ways. We can strengthen schools, yes. But if we don't pay attention to other parts of a child's life, we will never rise to the top with the tests. The school is not the center of the child's life (nor the most important social unit). The family is. Children spend way more time at home and in the community than they do in the schools. The family gives the emotional support that is necessary for any kind of success. A teacher cannot give that to a student---even the very best teacher cannot do that.

The people in this country are not interested in the real problems. There is no popular support for the policies you're calling for.

Source for this? This is your opinion---nothing more.

Yes, Americans are interested in trumped up problems. You can tell by the number of people excited about the Common Core. Lots of support out there---people just couldn't wait for it to get to their schools.

I haven't noticed a lot of public support for programs that would lessen the impact of poverty on children. Universal health care? Nope. High-quality, affordable day care? Nope. Living wage? Nope. Affordable housing? Nope. Transportation access to jobs? Nope. Paid maternity leave? Nope. What am I missing?

[Anonymous]

So you're saying that standards are not relevant in education. As far as you're concerned, there shouldn't be any standards at all. Yes?

You have conflated their importance to a degree that is absurd.

This reminds me of Bush saying, "you're either for us or against us". Simplistic much?

I'm for what is going to help students the most. At this point the problem is not that we needed to change the standards (at least not where I am). Maybe somewhere these standards are going to really, really help. I don't see it. I think federal solutions are often so broad as to be worthless. Lots of money spent with little ROI. There are other problems that are more pressing than this. Yes, those problems are not easy to solve, but we need to look at them and think about how to start.

[Anonymous]

I haven't noticed a lot of public support for programs that would lessen the impact of poverty on children. Universal health care? Nope. High-quality, affordable day care? Nope. Living wage? Nope. Affordable housing? Nope. Transportation access to jobs? Nope. Paid maternity leave? Nope. What am I missing?

The culture of those who do not really want to work. Our immigrants seem to do okay at menial jobs. Many of their kids succeed. Maybe is it the example of hard work.

[Anonymous]

I haven't noticed a lot of public support for programs that would lessen the impact of poverty on children. Universal health care? Nope. High-quality, affordable day care? Nope. Living wage? Nope. Affordable housing? Nope. Transportation access to jobs? Nope. Paid maternity leave?

That is not going to solve the problem of people who neglect their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I haven't noticed a lot of public support for programs that would lessen the impact of poverty on children. Universal health care? Nope. High-quality, affordable day care? Nope. Living wage? Nope. Affordable housing? Nope. Transportation access to jobs? Nope. Paid maternity leave? Nope. What am I missing?

The culture of those who do not really want to work. Our immigrants seem to do okay at menial jobs. Many of their kids succeed. Maybe is it the example of hard work.

Oh, that's what you think is the problem. In that case, yes, there is plenty of popular support for your policies, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

So you're saying that standards are not relevant in education. As far as you're concerned, there shouldn't be any standards at all. Yes?

Just curious......what is your native language?

[Anonymous]

I haven't noticed a lot of public support for programs that would lessen the impact of poverty on children. Universal health care? Nope. High-quality, affordable day care? Nope. Living wage? Nope. Affordable housing? Nope. Transportation access to jobs? Nope. Paid maternity leave? Nope. What am I missing?

Be patient. It's coming! Living wage is becoming an issue (minimum wage rants have had an effect). Housing is the next one we're going to see. I work with people who are moving because of the high costs. This is going to resonate soon. The others may come. We have to take one at a time and it's starting to happen. These are not hopeless issues at all.

Common Core is not an exciting issue for people. It just doesn't change lives and communities in a more immediate and visible way. In fact, it makes things worse. It's a waste.

Housing and wages are first. Transportation is probably after that. I wish we could get the day care, but that will be harder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

So you're saying that standards are not relevant in education. As far as you're concerned, there shouldn't be any standards at all. Yes?

You have conflated their importance to a degree that is absurd.

This reminds me of Bush saying, "you're either for us or against us". Simplistic much?

I'm for what is going to help students the most. At this point the problem is not that we needed to change the standards (at least not where I am). Maybe somewhere these standards are going to really, really help. I don't see it. I think federal solutions are often so broad as to be worthless. Lots of money spent with little ROI. There are other problems that are more pressing than this. Yes, those problems are not easy to solve, but we need to look at them and think about how to start.

No, I was asking for clarification. So you think that there should be standards, but that there are more pressing problems than the quality or variability of the standards. In that case, I agree with you. We should focus our energies on those more pressing problems.

But this is actually a strong argument to stop fighting the Common Core standards. Take them as given, let them happen or not happen, and move on. Fighting the Common Core standards takes away from focusing energies on the more pressing problems.

Also, the Common Core standards are NOT a federal solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I haven't noticed a lot of public support for programs that would lessen the impact of poverty on children. Universal health care? Nope. High-quality, affordable day care? Nope. Living wage? Nope. Affordable housing? Nope. Transportation access to jobs? Nope. Paid maternity leave? Nope. What am I missing?

Be patient. It's coming! Living wage is becoming an issue (minimum wage rants have had an effect). Housing is the next one we're going to see. I work with people who are moving because of the high costs. This is going to resonate soon. The others may come. We have to take one at a time and it's starting to happen. These are not hopeless issues at all.

Common Core is not an exciting issue for people. It just doesn't change lives and communities in a more immediate and visible way. In fact, it makes things worse. It's a waste.

Housing and wages are first. Transportation is probably after that. I wish we could get the day care, but that will be harder.

I sure hope you're right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
So you're saying that standards are not relevant in education. As far as you're concerned, there shouldn't be any standards at all. Yes?

Just curious......what is your native language?

American English. Why?

[Anonymous]

The culture of those who do not really want to work. Our immigrants seem to do okay at menial jobs. Many of their kids succeed. Maybe is it the example of hard work.

I work with immigrants. They are not all doing "okay". Like anyone else, some of the kids succeed and some do not. It's a very mixed picture.

I am more liberal than the other poster, but I still don't believe that Common Core is any sort of answer to the problems "on the ground". It might help the bean counters, but it does zero for the real people who need help.

[Anonymous]

American English. Why?

Your syntax does not sound like it.