Common Core's epic fail: Special Education

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CC standards will not improve education. It will hold back successful students while teachers give all their time to those who are borderline. The rest will fall out.

I disagree. I am already seeing significant improvement in writing instruction in my children's schools -- grades 4 and 8, Maryland state. Teachers are teaching writing to meet the new state standards for writing, not the old ones, which were far less challenging and did not require students to be able to write coherent paragraphs and essays on a topic. My children are both good students, but they are being challenged to write better under the new Common Core standards. I teach ESOL students as well, and see that in their classes, they are getting direct instruction in how to write a coherent essay. For the past 5 years I have been teaching in MD schools, I have not seen this emphasis on writing. Even after just 4 months of greater focus on writing, I am seeing big improvement in students' abilities to write, and I attribute this new emphasis to the new standards that have been implemented.

I am not seeing successful students being held back in any way. Common Core Standards in writing have improved instruction, and student achievement, from what I can see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CC standards will not improve education. It will hold back successful students while teachers give all their time to those who are borderline. The rest will fall out.

I disagree. I am already seeing significant improvement in writing instruction in my children's schools -- grades 4 and 8, Maryland state. Teachers are teaching writing to meet the new state standards for writing, not the old ones, which were far less challenging and did not require students to be able to write coherent paragraphs and essays on a topic. My children are both good students, but they are being challenged to write better under the new Common Core standards. I teach ESOL students as well, and see that in their classes, they are getting direct instruction in how to write a coherent essay. For the past 5 years I have been teaching in MD schools, I have not seen this emphasis on writing. Even after just 4 months of greater focus on writing, I am seeing big improvement in students' abilities to write, and I attribute this new emphasis to the new standards that have been implemented.

I am not seeing successful students being held back in any way. Common Core Standards in writing have improved instruction, and student achievement, from what I can see.

+1 We moved from a different state before they implemented CC. When we moved to MD, they had already implemented 2.0, and my kid's writing was far behind. Luckily, DC caught up. I was impressed with how rigorous the writing standards seem to be. Pretty impressive writing in early ES kids.

[Anonymous]

Gosh, I guess Maryland standards were pretty substandard. That wouldn't have stopped any decent teacher from teaching far beyond it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

So instead there should be variable standards? Aren't standards by definition uniform?

Bingo! Kids are not uniform.

Employees are not uniform, and yet there are performance standards at my workplace.

Patients are not uniform, and yet there is a standard of care in medicine.

Babies are not uniform, and yet there are safety standards for strollers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CC standards will not improve education. It will hold back successful students while teachers give all their time to those who are borderline. The rest will fall out.

I disagree. I am already seeing significant improvement in writing instruction in my children's schools -- grades 4 and 8, Maryland state. Teachers are teaching writing to meet the new state standards for writing, not the old ones, which were far less challenging and did not require students to be able to write coherent paragraphs and essays on a topic. My children are both good students, but they are being challenged to write better under the new Common Core standards. I teach ESOL students as well, and see that in their classes, they are getting direct instruction in how to write a coherent essay. For the past 5 years I have been teaching in MD schools, I have not seen this emphasis on writing. Even after just 4 months of greater focus on writing, I am seeing big improvement in students' abilities to write, and I attribute this new emphasis to the new standards that have been implemented.

I am not seeing successful students being held back in any way. Common Core Standards in writing have improved instruction, and student achievement, from what I can see.

Mine too.

[Anonymous]

http://m.wftv.com/news/news/local/osceola-co-teachers-resigning-en-masse-over-common/njPXY/
Osceola Co. teachers resign en masse over Common Core demands

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. —


More than 20 teachers have resigned or decided to retire from the Osceola County School District in just the past month -- and the district already had a shortage with more than 50 vacant teaching jobs.

The teachers’ union told Channel 9’s Deneige Broom that some of them quit because they're fed up with standardized testing.

At Kissimmee Elementary, they need to fill two spots. At the nearby middle school, three spots are open.

The union president believes many of the now vacant spots are because of testing.

Apryl Jackson fights to help Osceola County teachers, but said the education association's latest fight should concern parents, too.

“Ultimately, the problem that we're having now is the quality of education that our students is getting is not what it should be," said Jackson with the Osceola County Education Association.

In November, about 20 teachers resigned or retired from the school district.

Jackson said that's higher than they typically see and several teachers claim the way they're forced to teach now and the stress of Common Core were the deciding factors in leaving.

[Anonymous]

Gosh, I guess Maryland standards were pretty substandard. That wouldn't have stopped any decent teacher from teaching far beyond it.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Patients are not uniform, and yet there is a standard of care in medicine.

And, this is causing lots of problems. Lots of waste and lack of time from doctors because of these so called "standards."

[Anonymous]

Babies are not uniform, and yet there are safety standards for strollers.

Seriously? Common core standards are like strollers?

[Anonymous]

Employees are not uniform, and yet there are performance standards at my workplace.

And, they were hired because they are qualified for the job. And, they can choose themselves to go beyond those standards. Students may not have that option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Babies are not uniform, and yet there are safety standards for strollers.

Seriously? Common core standards are like strollers?

No. Common Core standards are like stroller safety standards, in that they are both standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Employees are not uniform, and yet there are performance standards at my workplace.

And, they were hired because they are qualified for the job. And, they can choose themselves to go beyond those standards. Students may not have that option.

There were standards in education before the Common Core standards. Getting rid of the Common Core standards will not get rid of standards in education. You are arguing against the existence of any standards in education.

[Anonymous]

There were standards in education before the Common Core standards. Getting rid of the Common Core standards will not get rid of standards in education. You are arguing against the existence of any standards in education.

Earlier standards were not as convoluted as these. Neither did they require so many hours of testing. Teaching is losing out to testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

There were standards in education before the Common Core standards. Getting rid of the Common Core standards will not get rid of standards in education. You are arguing against the existence of any standards in education.

Earlier standards were not as convoluted as these. Neither did they require so many hours of testing. Teaching is losing out to testing.

Common Core standards are hardly convoluted. They are detailed and straightforward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Babies are not uniform, and yet there are safety standards for strollers.

Seriously? Common core standards are like strollers?

Comments like this make me believe that the person who is making them isn't very bright.