Why are people so upset about Common Core?

[Anonymous]

Her final product of writing got a perfect score--the only misses were under "pre-writing". Which do you think is more important?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What I don't like about Common Core is that it continues to place the emphasis on schools instead of parents. Parents who don't invest in their kids, who don't read to them, who don't contribute toward their education in and outside of class, who rely on the schools to do all of the educating, are the reason kids do poorly. I realize that it's hard for parents who are working two jobs, etc., and we as a society need to do more to support that group. But, there are plenty of parents who don't work two jobs who still think the school is responsible for educating and they just follow along. There are plenty of parents who work two jobs and still insist on driving their kids to excel in school too. In my opinion, it's our parenting that needs to change if we are to move the needle on achievement. Perhaps not this extreme, but a little more Tiger momming would not kill us.

Holy deficit perspective, batman! Where do you work that this kind of attitude can pass in "education research"? The Heritage Foundation?

You don't agree? All the research on the achievement gap shows that it has grown or stayed stable because higher SES parents are investing so much more in their kids' education. (Achievement in other groups has also increased, btw, but the gap hasn't closed because high SES parents have upped the ante.) Kids in certain homes are also way more likely to have much bigger vocabularies, which is a huge deal for achievement. It's not true across-the-board, but Asian-American kids are (as a group) out-performing all other groups in large part because their families invest heavily in their education.

I'm a bleeding heart liberal, btw. I come from poverty and a low-education Hispanic community. The facts are the facts.

(Heritage Foundation was a low blow. Sorry 'bout that.)

I think the primary cause of the achievement gap is poor kids in poor neighborhoods going to underresourced schools, and I really do see a dearth of research looking at questions of the effects of resource allocation. I think we pay very little attention to resource allocation (why is it not part of the accountability system? seems pretty important to me.)

I get a bit antsy about framings that can be interpreted as blaming parents for what I really think are structural inequities.

[Anonymous]

I think the primary cause of the achievement gap is poor kids in poor neighborhoods going to underresourced schools, and I really do see a dearth of research looking at questions of the effects of resource allocation. I think we pay very little attention to resource allocation (why is it not part of the accountability system? seems pretty important to me.)

You'd be wrong. I have taught in poor neighborhoods. It is not the schools. When kids come to school and do not have basic language skills, basic vocabulary, and basic social skills taught at home, there is a problem.

[Anonymous]

Example: When kids have never had a parent read to them, that is a problem. When parents yell all the time and don't take the time to talk to their kids and teach basic vocabulary, that is a problem.

[Anonymous]

Some kids start school without understanding "over" and "under" and basic directions. These are all problems. Parents need to quit playing video games with their kids and start reading to them.

[Anonymous]

Title I and Head start get lots and lots of money. The programs show some gains--but not for the amount of money spent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once she explained to me why she bombed that part, I understood. She still got a good overall score. It was just busy work.

That's exactly the attitude that is problematic and you are just too thickheaded to see it. You've created an entitled kid who thinks she is too smart for busy work. Congratulations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Common Core standards require testing, I think. When a test is attempting to evaluate a child’s thinking process, some of the questions are just plain dumb—and, by the way, do not necessarily evaluate what it is trying to evaluate. Some of these standards should be dropped. They are teaching tools—not standards.

Common Core is a set of standards that all students should be able to achieve by the end of each grade.

The Common Core standards do not require testing. However, yes, there will be tests developed based on Common Core standards. NCLB requires testing but it doesn't have to be based on COmmon Core standards.

Common Core state standards do not attempt to evaluate a child's thinking process, however, teachers may attempt to evaluate a child's thinking process.

Some teachers for example, insist a student do prewriting before they write an essay, even if the child thinks she doesn't need to write an outline or make a mind map.

Common Core does not state as one of its written lanague obectives that "All Student by the end of 5th grade must be able to write using a mind map" for instance. Common Core Standards for the end of 5th grade DO however state that byt he end of 5th grade all students should be able to do the following:

- Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

- Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

- Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.

- Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially)

- Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

- Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

Many 5th grade language arts teachers feel that children will be more successful in organizing an essay to demonstrate the above standards if they use some prewriting strategies, such as outlining or mind maps. For this reason, they may require students to "plan their work" and demonstrate that they are using these prewriting strategies. However, the specific prewriting strategy chosen by the teacher is not specified by Common Core Standards.

If a child is capable of meeting the above standards without using a particular pre writing strategy, specified by the teacher, I would encourage parents to contact the teacher and explain the situation: "my child Larla would prefer to use a different prewriting strategy, or no prewriting strategy, in order to meet the Common Core State Standards in writing. Can you explain why your prewriting strategy would be better for her, or if not, could she be allowed to use a different or no strategy?"

If the teacher refuses, I would think you could discuss this issue with the principal, because the end goal is that the child is writing an organized essay, not that the child can use a Mind Map.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Once she explained to me why she bombed that part, I understood. She still got a good overall score. It was just busy work.

That's exactly the attitude that is problematic and you are just too thickheaded to see it. You've created an entitled kid who thinks she is too smart for busy work. Congratulations.

No. I accepted her reasoning. She was never a bratty kid and is not a bratty adult. Her friends would laugh if they saw what you wrote. She is far from entitled. You just have no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

+1... and, Common Core came from the states in the first place. It was not a Federal initiative. Feds got involved after the fact, and only in areas like providing funds to help support it.

Exactly. And, once the Feds get hold of it, it changes.

Pfffft. The feds didn't put a mandate of change on it. We already went over that - they put money out there to help states implement it but the implementation was ultimately still up to the states. You Tea Party types with your constant bogeymen about federal government and regulation need a serious reality check.

[Anonymous]

No. This is the problem with education. The teachers care more about their standardized tests than that a child perform exceptionally well. A test means more than a beautifully written paragraph.

[Anonymous]

sorry, forgot to include the quote: ^^^

That's exactly the attitude that is problematic and you are just too thickheaded to see it. You've created an entitled kid who thinks she is too smart for busy work. Congratulations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. This is the problem with education. The teachers care more about their standardized tests than that a child perform exceptionally well. A test means more than a beautifully written paragraph.

And this is OUR fault how?

ignorant post, ignorant poster

[Anonymous]

And this is OUR fault how?

ignorant post, ignorant poster

So, we want robots who cannot think their way out of a box. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

And this is OUR fault how?

ignorant post, ignorant poster

It s a problem when teachers are not allowed to use their own judgment to evaluate, but must rely on a canned formula to dispense from on high.