Teachers, please give us your take on the common core.

[Anonymous]

Teachers/educators/administrators, please chime in.

[Anonymous]

I think the Common Core State Standards are better than the old MD state standards.

[Anonymous]

PP again. I also like that there are very specific standards for writing.

[Anonymous]

ANother question for the VA teachers: Our politicians tell us that the VA standards are actually higher than CC. Is that true or Tea Party drivel?

[Anonymous]

I think in general the concept is good, especially for students who may switch schools a lot. The standards are also good.

I hate the testing though. But if I had it my way there'd be no standardized testing for elementary students and an hour of recess everyday.

[Anonymous]

My criticism isn't so much common core with the way testing gets implemented in MD. I hate the focus only on reading and math to the detriment of science especially, but also history, art, music, PE/recess. I loathe that teachers or parents have to spend time teaching first and second graders to touch type so they can pass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP again. I also like that there are very specific standards for writing.

Is cursive taught in common core?

[Anonymous]

CC standards are wonderful. The problem is the materials are lacking. The textbook publishers didn't create new textbooks from scratch, they just tweaked their current textbooks and slapped on a label saying they meet common core standards. In many districts teams of teachers are creating material, which is not efficient. The material should be readily available to teachers, students, and parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:CC standards are wonderful. The problem is the materials are lacking. The textbook publishers didn't create new textbooks from scratch, they just tweaked their current textbooks and slapped on a label saying they meet common core standards. In many districts teams of teachers are creating material, which is not efficient. The material should be readily available to teachers, students, and parents.

This seems to be systemic. The textbook guys aren't listening to what is needed. Now everyone is trying to make their own "books". I believe that MCPS has its own math curriculum, which is a shame because you should not feel a need to reinvent the wheel.

[Anonymous]

I teach 4th and really like common core. I am (truly) impressed with how much better my math students understand the material since they have had cc their entire lives. Testing...that is another issue. Having seen example Parcc questions, I can definitely tell that it is much harder than MSA which is good, but I am always skeptical of new tests. Kids will definitely not be doing as well on these tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I teach 4th and really like common core. I am (truly) impressed with how much better my math students understand the material since they have had cc their entire lives. Testing...that is another issue. Having seen example Parcc questions, I can definitely tell that it is much harder than MSA which is good, but I am always skeptical of new tests. Kids will definitely not be doing as well on these tests.

Where are you that your 4th grade students have had Common Core their entire lives?

[Anonymous]

Montgomery County- the current 4th graders have had it for years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Montgomery County- the current 4th graders have had it for years.

At out MCPD elementary school, this year's fourth graders just started common core last year in third grade. This year's third graders have had it since kindergarten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My criticism isn't so much common core with the way testing gets implemented in MD. I hate the focus only on reading and math to the detriment of science especially, but also history, art, music, PE/recess. I loathe that teachers or parents have to spend time teaching first and second graders to touch type so they can pass.

This isn't true. Common Core itself doesn't mention typing in the elementary school standards (It may not be mentioned in the upper grades either, but I haven't read those as closely). The new tests, which start at third grade, are given on the computer. So, by third grade the students need to have some familiarity with the computer working the shift key, finding the comma, that kind of stuff. But they need to write at 3rd grade speed. Most third graders, in my experience can hunt and peck faster than they handwrite with no keyboarding instruction. So touch typing is definitely not needed.

I'm a teacher, and I like the Common Core better than what came before in either MD or DC, and far better than the VA standards. In reading, I like the emphasis on non-fiction, and the explicit phonics and phonemic awareness, something that was missing before. I like the emphasis on different genres of writing, and the move away from an overemphasis on narrative writing as the predominant form for young kids. For older kids, I really like the way the Common Core specifies the reading and writing skills that students are supposed to demonstrate in their content areas. I think that learning how to read and understand a science text, or write a history essay is crucial, and I'm glad it's addressed in the standards. For math, as an early grade teacher, I really like the way they're teaching skills like time, money, and measurement to mastery in a single grade, as opposed to introducing a little bit each year.

Overall, I'm happy with the shift to the new standards. I think they're a great mix of rigor and developmental appropriateness. At the same time, I think that there are undoubtedly going to be growing pains as school districts change over. I also wonder and worry about the PARCC test. I have some hopes that it will fix some of the issues we see with the current test, but I also worry that it may be overwhelming.

[Anonymous]

Former first grade and K teacher here: I love phonics and it should be taught, however, there are some kids who just will not learn phonics and need to be taught in other ways--and there are many other ways.