Teachers, parents souring on Common Core across U.S.

[Anonymous]

http://www.rentonreporter.com/news/286678751.html?utm_campaign=Feed%3A+renall+%28All+Stories+-+Renton+Reporter%29&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner%3Fmobile%3Dtrue

In Washington state:

Teachers and staff in the Renton School District are expressing their frustrations about a lack of support for aligning curriculum with the new national reading, writing and math standards adopted by Washington state.

At a recent school board meeting on Dec. 10, four teachers spoke during the comment period, one near tears, addressing problems with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. The standards are academic benchmarks for reading and math that lay out what students should know and do at each grade level and after high school.

Fighting back tears, Katie Thorleifson, a teacher at Campbell Hill Elementary, Eeported that 11 out of 14 teachers informally surveyed at her school said they have thought about quitting.

Last year, teachers, principals and staff were expressing a positive and optimistic view of the new national standards. Now, the mood seems to have soured as the process to align the standards to curriculum and do the required assessments clunks along.

[Anonymous]

In California:
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2014-12-26/changing-classes-concern-for-parents-teachers-administrators-say-common-core-standards-reason-for-modifications/1776425135624.html

Changing classes concern for parents, teachers: Administrators say Common Core standards reason for modifications
December 26, 2014, 05:00 AM By Angela Swartz Daily Journal

Parents are still concerned about losing math as they know it at the middle school level, but school officials say math is just not the same with the new Common Core standards.

When parents in the San Mateo-Foster City Elementary School District found out most of their children will no longer be taking algebra or geometry in middle school, they contacted the district stating they wanted the classes to still be available so their children wouldn’t be left bored or miss out on opportunities to take Advanced Placement math classes like calculus in high school. Some parents were displeased with how the district responded to the concerns about math at a recent board meeting.

“Everyone was just stunned the district said, ‘Trust the district and this process,’” said Highlands Elementary School parent Nancy Hsieh. “We have asked them for a dialogue forum. We didn’t think they’d say, ‘Sure we’ll keep geometry.’ It’s important to have dialogue on an ongoing basis; that was the big disappointment.”

She notes that with the new state Common Core standards that shift to more technology in the classroom and project-based learning, there’s confusion that algebra and geometry are the same as they were before.

“They’re not in even the same courses,” Going said. “Standards in the old geometry course have been mostly pushed down into seventh- and eighth-grade. The old course of pre-algebra doesn’t even exist anymore. One of things we’re (the district) working on is document that shows each of the standards taught in each of those courses. When parents understand that they see having a student take half of math high school career within their middle school is an awful lot of mathematics.”

[Anonymous]

Osceola Co. teachers resign en masse over Common Core demands

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/osceola-co-teachers-resigning-en-masse-over-common/njPXY/

SCEOLA 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.

[Anonymous]

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2014/12/new_test_shows_deeper_academic.html

Most Alabama Students Fall Short on Common-Core Test
By Catherine Gewertz on December 12, 2014 11:27 AM

The drumbeat has been getting louder as PARCC and Smarter Balanced tests get closer: Many students are expected to fall short of proficiency marks on those new, presumably tougher exams. But those kinds of sobering results are showing up on other common-core tests, as well.

The ACT's Aspire, designed to reflect the common core, has produced its first round of statewide results. In nearly every grade and both subjects, more than half of Alabama's students fall below the cut points that connote being on track for success in college, according to local news media reports. The tests in reading and ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:http://www.rentonreporter.com/news/286678751.html?utm_campaign=Feed%3A+renall+%28All+Stories+-+Renton+Reporter%29&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner%3Fmobile%3Dtrue

In Washington state:

Teachers and staff in the Renton School District are expressing their frustrations about a lack of support for aligning curriculum with the new national reading, writing and math standards adopted by Washington state.

At a recent school board meeting on Dec. 10, four teachers spoke during the comment period, one near tears, addressing problems with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. The standards are academic benchmarks for reading and math that lay out what students should know and do at each grade level and after high school.

Fighting back tears, Katie Thorleifson, a teacher at Campbell Hill Elementary, Eeported that 11 out of 14 teachers informally surveyed at her school said they have thought about quitting.

Last year, teachers, principals and staff were expressing a positive and optimistic view of the new national standards. Now, the mood seems to have soured as the process to align the standards to curriculum and do the required assessments clunks along.

That's a decent article. The reporter makes clear that Common Core are standards, and that the school district has to design a curriculum to meet the standards. This school district seems like it is doing due diligence -- the teachers have reviewed many language arts curricula and found them all lacking, rather than rushing to adopt some curricula with "Common Core" stamped on it and then realizing that the curriculum stinks.

The article also notes the many problems this school district is having that aren't sue to Common Core. They have a substitute teacher shortage. They have had difficulty with teacher retention for the past years. Teachers do not feel their voices are being heard. Teachers are exhausted, probably from innovation fatigue.

I taught in VA pubic schools the first year that the SOLs were introduced and teachers said the same exact thing. It WAS exhausting and the change was difficult for everyone. Now, years later, VA is very happy with their SOLs and are sticking with them instead of switching to Common Core.

The first years of implementing new standards ARE difficult and test scores may be low; that doesn't mean that the standards are a bad idea.

[Anonymous]

I taught in VA pubic schools the first year that the SOLs were introduced and teachers said the same exact thing. It WAS exhausting and the change was difficult for everyone. Now, years later, VA is very happy with their SOLs and are sticking with them instead of switching to Common Core.

I wouldn't say that teachers are happy with SOL standards. The CC are worse, but that doesn't mean it is a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Reported this thread for violation of TOS.

[Anonymous]

What is TOS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What is TOS?

Terms of Service. Jeff has prohibited the posting of just links (and in this case, verbatim snippets from the linked article) to the forums.

If you wish to say something about Common Core, you can incorporate your links, but at least express a point of view.

For the record, I think the articles are histrionic. Common Core is grossly misunderstood and very necessary for our country. It doesn't seem unreasonable to me at all to have a set of standards of what every child should know after completion of each grade. That's all Common Core does. I find the hand-wringing over it to be absurd. A bunch of right-wing mumbo jumbo about how it's Obama's fault and stuff, when in fact it was a carefully researched, bipartisan grassroots initiative. Common core is common sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What is TOS?

Terms of Service. Jeff has prohibited the posting of just links (and in this case, verbatim snippets from the linked article) to the forums.

If you wish to say something about Common Core, you can incorporate your links, but at least express a point of view.

For the record, I think the articles are histrionic. Common Core is grossly misunderstood and very necessary for our country. It doesn't seem unreasonable to me at all to have a set of standards of what every child should know after completion of each grade. That's all Common Core does. I find the hand-wringing over it to be absurd. A bunch of right-wing mumbo jumbo about how it's Obama's fault and stuff, when in fact it was a carefully researched, bipartisan grassroots initiative. Common core is common sense.

I'm OP and my experience with Common Core is that my child now despises school. I hear this on Facebook from friends all across the country.

But good on you for being a rule follower! I see why Common Core has such appeal for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What is TOS?

Terms of Service. Jeff has prohibited the posting of just links (and in this case, verbatim snippets from the linked article) to the forums.

If you wish to say something about Common Core, you can incorporate your links, but at least express a point of view.

For the record, I think the articles are histrionic. Common Core is grossly misunderstood and very necessary for our country. It doesn't seem unreasonable to me at all to have a set of standards of what every child should know after completion of each grade. That's all Common Core does. I find the hand-wringing over it to be absurd. A bunch of right-wing mumbo jumbo about how it's Obama's fault and stuff, when in fact it was a carefully researched, bipartisan grassroots initiative. Common core is common sense.

I'm OP and my experience with Common Core is that my child now despises school. I hear this on Facebook from friends all across the country.

But good on you for being a rule follower! I see why Common Core has such appeal for you.

Common core doesn't have anything to do with "following rules." But, I guess if you heard something on Facebook, it must be true, right?

I don't even think you read the first article you posted. Those teachers haven't "soured" on Common Core. They're frustrated with the implementation and don't feel they've had enough time to learn the curriculum adopted to meet the standards.

My instruction for you today is to try a little harder to think critically. Stop believing everything you read on Facebook, stop thinking that rebellion for the sake of rebellion is virtuous, and stop resorting to ad hominem attacks when someone you disagree with expresses a viewpoint (that you did that only confirms that you cannot articulate WHY you don't like Common Core except to say your Facebook friends don't like it either). When you have done these things, you're welcome to engage this conversation again. Until then, please refrain from posting anymore. Thank you.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What is TOS?

Terms of Service. Jeff has prohibited the posting of just links (and in this case, verbatim snippets from the linked article) to the forums.

If you wish to say something about Common Core, you can incorporate your links, but at least express a point of view.

The posts in question appear to comply with our terms of service. The poster has posted excerpts of articles which is allowed under "fair use". The amount of text that can be quoted is not specified by the fair use doctrine. So, potentially a copyright holder could dispute the amount of text copied, but it seems at least reasonable to me. The links provide proper attribution of the quoted material. I don't consider a link and excerpt of text to be a "link only" post. My only complaint -- and it is a small one -- is that the poster posted multiple posts in a row. Doing so with out indicating that you are the previous poster could be considered sock puppetting, though in this case I think it was clear that it was a single poster.

I appreciate posters following our rules regardless of their position on the common core curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What is TOS?

Terms of Service. Jeff has prohibited the posting of just links (and in this case, verbatim snippets from the linked article) to the forums.

If you wish to say something about Common Core, you can incorporate your links, but at least express a point of view.

For the record, I think the articles are histrionic. Common Core is grossly misunderstood and very necessary for our country. It doesn't seem unreasonable to me at all to have a set of standards of what every child should know after completion of each grade. That's all Common Core does. I find the hand-wringing over it to be absurd. A bunch of right-wing mumbo jumbo about how it's Obama's fault and stuff, when in fact it was a carefully researched, bipartisan grassroots initiative. Common core is common sense.

I'm OP and my experience with Common Core is that my child now despises school. I hear this on Facebook from friends all across the country.

But good on you for being a rule follower! I see why Common Core has such appeal for you.

Common core doesn't have anything to do with "following rules." But, I guess if you heard something on Facebook, it must be true, right?

I don't even think you read the first article you posted. Those teachers haven't "soured" on Common Core. They're frustrated with the implementation and don't feel they've had enough time to learn the curriculum adopted to meet the standards.

My instruction for you today is to try a little harder to think critically. Stop believing everything you read on Facebook, stop thinking that rebellion for the sake of rebellion is virtuous, and stop resorting to ad hominem attacks when someone you disagree with expresses a viewpoint (that you did that only confirms that you cannot articulate WHY you don't like Common Core except to say your Facebook friends don't like it either). When you have done these things, you're welcome to engage this conversation again. Until then, please refrain from posting anymore. Thank you.

I'm a fine critical thinker, thank you. Trying to shut down conversation you don't like doesn't do anything for the pro Common Core side, either.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What is TOS?

Terms of Service. Jeff has prohibited the posting of just links (and in this case, verbatim snippets from the linked article) to the forums.

If you wish to say something about Common Core, you can incorporate your links, but at least express a point of view.

The posts in question appear to comply with our terms of service. The poster has posted excerpts of articles which is allowed under "fair use". The amount of text that can be quoted is not specified by the fair use doctrine. So, potentially a copyright holder could dispute the amount of text copied, but it seems at least reasonable to me. The links provide proper attribution of the quoted material. I don't consider a link and excerpt of text to be a "link only" post. My only complaint -- and it is a small one -- is that the poster posted multiple posts in a row. Doing so with out indicating that you are the previous poster could be considered sock puppetting, though in this case I think it was clear that it was a single poster.

I appreciate posters following our rules regardless of their position on the common core curriculum.

As OP, I wasn't trying to break the rules. Sorry. I thought posting multiple stories on one post might be too long. My point was there are now a lot of articles out there about the experiences teachers and parents are facing with Common Core.

Thanks for your moderation; I know that it's not an easy job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What is TOS?

Terms of Service. Jeff has prohibited the posting of just links (and in this case, verbatim snippets from the linked article) to the forums.

If you wish to say something about Common Core, you can incorporate your links, but at least express a point of view.

For the record, I think the articles are histrionic. Common Core is grossly misunderstood and very necessary for our country. It doesn't seem unreasonable to me at all to have a set of standards of what every child should know after completion of each grade. That's all Common Core does. I find the hand-wringing over it to be absurd. A bunch of right-wing mumbo jumbo about how it's Obama's fault and stuff, when in fact it was a carefully researched, bipartisan grassroots initiative. Common core is common sense.

I'm OP and my experience with Common Core is that my child now despises school. I hear this on Facebook from friends all across the country.

But good on you for being a rule follower! I see why Common Core has such appeal for you.

Common core doesn't have anything to do with "following rules." But, I guess if you heard something on Facebook, it must be true, right?

I don't even think you read the first article you posted. Those teachers haven't "soured" on Common Core. They're frustrated with the implementation and don't feel they've had enough time to learn the curriculum adopted to meet the standards.

My instruction for you today is to try a little harder to think critically. Stop believing everything you read on Facebook, stop thinking that rebellion for the sake of rebellion is virtuous, and stop resorting to ad hominem attacks when someone you disagree with expresses a viewpoint (that you did that only confirms that you cannot articulate WHY you don't like Common Core except to say your Facebook friends don't like it either). When you have done these things, you're welcome to engage this conversation again. Until then, please refrain from posting anymore. Thank you.

I'm a fine critical thinker, thank you. Trying to shut down conversation you don't like doesn't do anything for the pro Common Core side, either.

You haven't contributed anything useful to the conversation other than you don't like Common Core because of things your Facebook friends say. What, specifically, do you dislike about Common Core? Please use your own reasoning, not talking points provided by something you read on the Internet. This "my kid doesn't like school because of Common Core" doesn't wash -- what, specifically? He doesn't like having to know than 5X5 is 25 after third grade or something?