Why are people so upset about Common Core?

[Anonymous]

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/common-core-test-anxiety-108527.html?hp=t1


Interesting story about the money in common core testing..........As I said: "Follow the money"

[Anonymous]

yup follow the money
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2014/07/bill_gates_excuse.html
Bill Gates: "Well, technology in the classroom doesn't have some stellar record up until now. ...technology has to deal with the fact that neither technology nor anything else has changed mass achievement in this country up till now. So, whatever reform, technology or otherwise, comes along, it's good to be skeptical because even as we have intensified resources going against education very substantially, we haven't moved achievement.

bringing radiation into every school and blaming kids for not being motivated.

has he found a pill that stops immune damage from the stuff?

[Anonymous]

http://dailycaller.com/2014/07/12/follow-the-money-microsofts-plan-to-cash-in-on-common-core/


Money, money, money--it's a rich man's world!

[Anonymous]

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/meet-americas-most-hardcore-anti-common-core-moms-n150146

What is most interesting about this article is that NBC has a grant from Gates to write this story. Scroll down to the bottom. I find that disturbing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/meet-americas-most-hardcore-anti-common-core-moms-n150146

What is most interesting about this article is that NBC has a grant from Gates to write this story. Scroll down to the bottom. I find that disturbing.

This quote is just nonsense.

A chart folded into the conference packets contrasted “traditional classical learning” with CSCOPE and Common Core’s “radical social justice agenda”: teachers are “facilitators” rather “authority figures,” the lessons focus on “subjectivity, feelings, emotions, beliefs” rather than the “Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, Constitution…phonics…Drill and Skill.”

Common Core has no radical social justice agenda; it is a list of math and language arts standards.

Lessons don't focus on subjectivity, feelings, emotions,etc. There are standards that require students to master math skills and language arts skills such as referring to the text to support your opinion.

Phonics most definitely IS emphasized in Common Core -- under foundational skills.

Complete nonsense.

[Anonymous]

I'd still like to know why Gates Foundation is paying the news media to run stories in favor of Common Core.

[Anonymous]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-ravitch/the-excellent-but-false-m_b_5577845.html

More Gates control. The standards were not tested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-ravitch/the-excellent-but-false-m_b_5577845.html

More Gates control. The standards were not tested.

When have people ever "tested" state standards? I've taught in NY, MD and VA. We always had state standards. I don't recall them ever being "tested". How do you even test a standard?

[Anonymous]

When have people ever "tested" state standards? I've taught in NY, MD and VA. We always had state standards. I don't recall them ever being "tested". How do you even test a standard?

Actually, this has been "best practices" for years. With the advent of NCLB and Race to the Top, there has been a huge rush to get the tests out. Testing should be piloted. Did you know that the SAT usually includes questions that are not scored? They are in there for validation before they are put in use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/common-core-test-anxiety-108527.html?hp=t1


Interesting story about the money in common core testing..........As I said: "Follow the money"

Every time I open this thread I think of the Jerry Maguire movie.

[Anonymous]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diane-ravitch/the-excellent-but-false-m_b_5577845.html

More Gates control. The standards were not tested.


When have people ever "tested" state standards? I've taught in NY, MD and VA. We always had state standards. I don't recall them ever being "tested". How do you even test a standard?

I think people conflate the standards with the tests and with the curriculum delivery system that is supposed to address the standards. These are three separate issues and understanding what issue is the real problem is key to fixing what is broken in the public schools.

Yes, it is absolutely possible to assess and evaluate state standards and every state should be engaged in this process and using the results to improve curriculum. How do you test a standard? There are many ways...process portfolios, performance assessments, and, of course, standardized tests. The problem inherent in assessment, of course, is whether or not the tool used for assessment actually measures what it is supposed to measure and whether the results are being used to improve the standard.

For the most part, this is where it all breaks down. The standards aren't the problem. They are merely articulated benchmarks and are really very reasonable, if you are well versed in child development. Are some of the standards out of line for some kids? Sure. But as a list of desired benchmarks, they are pretty solid.

Where the problem comes in is with the curriculum delivery system and the adequacy of the tests to assess the standard.

If your school has adopted a canned, published curriculum to address Common Core, and has inadequately trained its teachers on how to teach the curriculum, and further, expects that the canned curriculum ensures success and doesn't understand the relationships between the curriculum delivery system and test producers...then that defines your battlefield.

The problem isn't standards. The problem is how they are tested (whether the tests are valid and reliable), the independence of the testing agency from the curriculum producers, the agency of a school or district to design their own methods for addressing the standards, and how the results are used to refine curriculum.

Time to fight to right fight.

[Anonymous]

think people conflate the standards with the tests and with the curriculum delivery system that is supposed to address the standards. These are three separate issues and understanding what issue is the real problem is key to fixing what is broken in the public schools.

Yes, it is absolutely possible to assess and evaluate state standards and every state should be engaged in this process and using the results to improve curriculum. How do you test a standard? There are many ways...process portfolios, performance assessments, and, of course, standardized tests. The problem inherent in assessment, of course, is whether or not the tool used for assessment actually measures what it is supposed to measure and whether the results are being used to improve the standard.

For the most part, this is where it all breaks down. The standards aren't the problem. They are merely articulated benchmarks and are really very reasonable, if you are well versed in child development. Are some of the standards out of line for some kids? Sure. But as a list of desired benchmarks, they are pretty solid.

Where the problem comes in is with the curriculum delivery system and the adequacy of the tests to assess the standard.

If your school has adopted a canned, published curriculum to address Common Core, and has inadequately trained its teachers on how to teach the curriculum, and further, expects that the canned curriculum ensures success and doesn't understand the relationships between the curriculum delivery system and test producers...then that defines your battlefield.

The problem isn't standards. The problem is how they are tested (whether the tests are valid and reliable), the independence of the testing agency from the curriculum producers, the agency of a school or district to design their own methods for addressing the standards, and how the results are used to refine curriculum.

Time to fight to right fight.

Naïve statement. The whole program rests on testing--whether stated or not. That's where the money comes from.

[Anonymous]

Yes, follow the money! And all will be revealed.

[Anonymous]

Sorry to bring up this old thread but thought this article was interesting regarding cc.

Consensus I think is that the implementation of cc has been terrible, but the idea behind it is good.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/07/23/common-core-might-be-the-most-important-issue-in-the-2016-republican-presidential-race-heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-it/

[Anonymous]

Sorry to bring up this old thread but thought this article was interesting regarding cc.

Consensus I think is that the implementation of cc has been terrible, but the idea behind it is good.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/201I...hat-you-need-to-know-about-it/

What good are ideas if they don't work?