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

[Anonymous]

Well, I read the dcurbanmom.com VA schools thread and don't see a lot of SOL criticism. I just looked through the first 20 pages of thread titles and didn't see anything that mentioned SOLs or curriculum at all, except for one thread posted by the parent of an 8th grader who was having difficulty with writing (she feared he wouldn't be able to pass the 8th grade Language Arts SOL). Some concern about testing in Kindergarten but that turned out to be concern that DRAs were taking too much time.

If the Standards of Learning still were causing so much trauma, I assume dcum parents would be full of complaints here but I'm not seeing it.

Wow. Jeff must be so proud that DCUM has achieved such authority!

Read the newspapers in Virginia. Talk to teachers and parents. Talk to students.

[Anonymous]

Its a disaster. There are a few outliers on here who are trying to convince everyone that CC makes sense, and that anyone who opposes it is either an idiot or a right-wing nut job....or both I guess.

All I can tell you is that my DS hates it. used to be a happy student, now our nights are filled with tears (from me,mom) because we find ourselves not being able to call upon our knowledge and math skills to solve a simple 6th grade math problem. We have spent hours literally trolling websites for HOW TO videos. Finally given up. If he can't "get it" within the first 15 mins of trying he goes in with an incomplete homework assignment and a note telling the teacher that she needs to re-teach the content.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CC sucks monkey ass and anyone who doesn't think so is clearly not trying to help 11 year olds with math while not being allowed to explain about "carrying" and "borrowing"

Who is telling your 11 year old child she can't use the standard algorithm to add and subtract?

That's an explicit 4th grade standard.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.4.NBT.B.4
Fluently add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.

A 5th grade standards is to fluently multiply and divide multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm. So if teachers are telling your child not to use the standard algorithms, that's not on Common Core.

+1 In MCPS, kids learn several different ways to add multi digit numbers. One way, is using the standard algorithm of carrying. I think DC learned this in 3rd grade. DC is in 4th now, and the kids can use this method when doing math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its a disaster. There are a few outliers on here who are trying to convince everyone that CC makes sense, and that anyone who opposes it is either an idiot or a right-wing nut job....or both I guess.

All I can tell you is that my DS hates it. used to be a happy student, now our nights are filled with tears (from me,mom) because we find ourselves not being able to call upon our knowledge and math skills to solve a simple 6th grade math problem. We have spent hours literally trolling websites for HOW TO videos. Finally given up. If he can't "get it" within the first 15 mins of trying he goes in with an incomplete homework assignment and a note telling the teacher that she needs to re-teach the content.

If a lot of the kids in the class are having the same issue, then I would agree, the teacher needs to reteach it.

You probably can't figure it out either because 1. *you* are not used to doing math that way, and are programmed to do it only that one way you were taught and/or 2. you may not be math savvy.

I'm finding that CC math is not just about numbers, but also involves a lot of reading comprehension and deciphering. Perhaps you are weak in that area. Some may say math should only be about numbers, but I would disagree. Most real life math problems involve some reading comprehension.

I don't think kids should be taught math a certain way just so the parents can understand it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Well, I read the dcurbanmom.com VA schools thread and don't see a lot of SOL criticism. I just looked through the first 20 pages of thread titles and didn't see anything that mentioned SOLs or curriculum at all, except for one thread posted by the parent of an 8th grader who was having difficulty with writing (she feared he wouldn't be able to pass the 8th grade Language Arts SOL). Some concern about testing in Kindergarten but that turned out to be concern that DRAs were taking too much time.

If the Standards of Learning still were causing so much trauma, I assume dcum parents would be full of complaints here but I'm not seeing it.

Wow. Jeff must be so proud that DCUM has achieved such authority!

Read the newspapers in Virginia. Talk to teachers and parents. Talk to students.

I have -- I am not seeing a lot of complaining about the VA SOLs. Certainly nothing along the lines of when they were first adopted and, as I said, you would have thought it was the end of the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its a disaster. There are a few outliers on here who are trying to convince everyone that CC makes sense, and that anyone who opposes it is either an idiot or a right-wing nut job....or both I guess.

All I can tell you is that my DS hates it. used to be a happy student, now our nights are filled with tears (from me,mom) because we find ourselves not being able to call upon our knowledge and math skills to solve a simple 6th grade math problem. We have spent hours literally trolling websites for HOW TO videos. Finally given up. If he can't "get it" within the first 15 mins of trying he goes in with an incomplete homework assignment and a note telling the teacher that she needs to re-teach the content.

What kind of math is your 6th grader having trouble with? This seems really odd to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent. I have 2 kids, one has experienced the MCPS curriculum pre 2.0 and another is going through 2.0. The starkest difference has been in how Math has been taught. The standards have fallen to such an extent that there is no way I would not intervene and teach my child at home. My kids are not guinea pigs,.

I am a parent. I have two children. One did elementary school before 2.0. The second is doing elementary school with 2.0. The starkest difference has been that math is now taught much better. With my pre-2.0 child, math was like this: this is how you do it; next subject: this is how you do it; next subject: this is how you do it. My 2.0 child is spending more time on each topic, is learning multiple ways to approach a problem, and has much better number sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a parent. I have 2 kids, one has experienced the MCPS curriculum pre 2.0 and another is going through 2.0. The starkest difference has been in how Math has been taught. The standards have fallen to such an extent that there is no way I would not intervene and teach my child at home. My kids are not guinea pigs,.

Writing instruction however has improved, Imo.

I do not have any problems with the Writing instruction. However, Math instruction is subpar. Considering that US was lagging behind other nations in STEM, I am aghast at what has been served up. In the long run, the high SES and the usual overachievers will continue to supplement and enrich outside of school. It is going to make the achievement gap wider and more difficult to bridge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its a disaster. There are a few outliers on here who are trying to convince everyone that CC makes sense, and that anyone who opposes it is either an idiot or a right-wing nut job....or both I guess.

All I can tell you is that my DS hates it. used to be a happy student, now our nights are filled with tears (from me,mom) because we find ourselves not being able to call upon our knowledge and math skills to solve a simple 6th grade math problem. We have spent hours literally trolling websites for HOW TO videos. Finally given up. If he can't "get it" within the first 15 mins of trying he goes in with an incomplete homework assignment and a note telling the teacher that she needs to re-teach the content.

What kind of math is your 6th grader having trouble with? This seems really odd to me.

Can you show us one of these difficult problems?

[Anonymous]

Are there 2 anti common core math posters posting here? One saying that the math problems for 6th grade math are causing his or her child to cry in frustration and they need to look up how to do them on Youtube? And another who is unhappy that MCPC Curriculum 2.0 math isn't advanced enough? I think you may be arguing two different anti common core points and I want to keep them straight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there 2 anti common core math posters posting here? One saying that the math problems for 6th grade math are causing his or her child to cry in frustration and they need to look up how to do them on Youtube? And another who is unhappy that MCPC Curriculum 2.0 math isn't advanced enough? I think you may be arguing two different anti common core points and I want to keep them straight.

PP, there are three basic problems with the Common Core standards:

1. They are too easy.
2. They are too hard.
3. They are standards.

#3 is the appropriate response when somebody points out that #1 and #2 can't both be true.

There, now you're all prepared for further discussion.

[Anonymous]

Just curious. What happens when kids do not meet the standards?

[Anonymous]

PP, there are three basic problems with the Common Core standards:

1. They are too easy.
2. They are too hard.
3. They are standards.

#3 is the appropriate response when somebody points out that #1 and #2 can't both be true.

There, now you're all prepared for further discussion.

Okay--they are too easy for many and too hard for others. What is the point of the standards? What do you do with the ones who do not meet them? The standards accomplish nothing for those for whom they are too easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious. What happens when kids do not meet the standards?

That's up to the district or the state. The Common Core is simply a list of standards, and states continue to make their own decisions about how to address individual kids who are struggling. Current "best practice" is to use a model called "Response to Intervention", where students move through various levels of intervention. They might start with what are called "Tier 1" interventions, which is when a teacher makes modifications for a specific student. Perhaps their reading group meets an extra time per week, or she gives reteach phonics lessons during centers, or she invites a high school student to come see her at lunch so she can explain a math concept again. If those interventions don't work, then kids are supposed to move to what are called "Tier 2" interventions, which might be a daily small group phonics lesson, or an invitation to an afterschool tutoring program for a high schooler. Tier 3 interventions are generally given in smaller groups and more intensively, and might be a double period of math, or a pull out reading group. Kids who show over time that they are not responsive to intervention.

If a class or a school or a district has many kids who are not meeting the standards, then there need to be changes in structures and curriculum.

The federal government also has guidelines for how to respond to schools, districts and states that are failing under NCLB. These guidelines have gotten a little looser since the implementation of Common Core, although those two changes aren't directly related.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

PP, there are three basic problems with the Common Core standards:

1. They are too easy.
2. They are too hard.
3. They are standards.

#3 is the appropriate response when somebody points out that #1 and #2 can't both be true.

There, now you're all prepared for further discussion.

Okay--they are too easy for many and too hard for others. What is the point of the standards? What do you do with the ones who do not meet them? The standards accomplish nothing for those for whom they are too easy.

But that's an issue with standards in general, not a specific criticism of Common Core. Schools have had standards for a long time. 2nd grade teachers have taught 2 digit addition and subtraction for a long time, and they've always had some kids who come in knowing how to do so. Problem solving for that isn't a new thing, and it isn't a problem that Common Core created.