Why are people so upset about Common Core?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You are incorrect. I would suggest you look this up if you are a teacher. You cannot tell a parent, for instance, that your kid potentially has ADHD. You have to bring it up to the school psychologist, who can then observe and contact the parent if they feel there is an issue. A teacher can tell a parent that they've observed Johnny getting out of his seat frequently, or that Johnny's handwriting is not up to par with other kids in the class, but CANNOT make a potential diagnosis of any kind.

I am well versed in what I may say or not say to a parent. You bet if his or her child were frequently vomiting at the thought of doing homework that might be confusing, I would suggest the child be evaluated for a learning difficulty.

Good luck with that. It was an interesting exercise in learning for a teacher who told my husband and I to have our son evaluated for Aspergers because he would not look her in the eye when she was correcting him.

She learned damn fast what was legal and what wasn't. And for the record? She was laughed at by the professionals I spoke to. That child is now 19 and has absolutely NO signs of Aspergers. He does, however, have specific memories of this teacher being a generally nasty person.

It is part of my job to refer a child for possible learning difficulties, actually. I don't know why you think it is illegal to do so.

as per IDEA:

"A school professional may ask that a child be evaluated to see if he or she has a disability. Parents may also contact the child’s teacher or other school professional to ask that their child be evaluated. This request may be verbal, but it’s best to put it in writing."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Sweetheart, this should have been considered when the standards were written, i.e. what would be the resources and who would create them. And in fact, they were, but the materials coming out are STILL crap. You act as if there is no relationship between the creators of the standards and the creators of the curriculum, when in fact, the same people were involved in both. You really need to do some reading on how these standards were created, who the players are and what the relationships are that tie them all together into a neat little package.

I pay my taxes and expect my money to be used efficiently. Now you are telling me I have to spend my time and effort to try and clean up the BS that they created? You and I both know that it's not very effective nor efficient.

OK, so don't. You have two choices:

1. Try to do something about it.
2. Don't try to do anything about it, except for complaining.

[Anonymous]

The bottom line is this: No Child Left Behind was not a good thing. But proponents of CC think it IS a good thing, probably because they are Dems who believe in big government - but only their side.

When teachers start losing autonomy and kids keep melting down, etc, we will see the results of such things. But by then, it will be too late and your options will be gone - kind of like Germany.

It's interesting also to note, the arrogance of teachers on this thread, who refuse to admit that teachers are responsible for what they assign students, who think their skills are so fine they can diagnose a child with a medical condition, and feel they have autonomy over our children, forgetting they are NOT the parent.

Might I suggest you check that arrogance at the door, before you find yourself embroiled in legalities one day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You are incorrect. I would suggest you look this up if you are a teacher. You cannot tell a parent, for instance, that your kid potentially has ADHD. You have to bring it up to the school psychologist, who can then observe and contact the parent if they feel there is an issue. A teacher can tell a parent that they've observed Johnny getting out of his seat frequently, or that Johnny's handwriting is not up to par with other kids in the class, but CANNOT make a potential diagnosis of any kind.

I am well versed in what I may say or not say to a parent. You bet if his or her child were frequently vomiting at the thought of doing homework that might be confusing, I would suggest the child be evaluated for a learning difficulty.

Good luck with that. It was an interesting exercise in learning for a teacher who told my husband and I to have our son evaluated for Aspergers because he would not look her in the eye when she was correcting him.

She learned damn fast what was legal and what wasn't. And for the record? She was laughed at by the professionals I spoke to. That child is now 19 and has absolutely NO signs of Aspergers. He does, however, have specific memories of this teacher being a generally nasty person.

It is part of my job to refer a child for possible learning difficulties, actually. I don't know why you think it is illegal to do so.

as per IDEA:

"A school professional may ask that a child be evaluated to see if he or she has a disability. Parents may also contact the child’s teacher or other school professional to ask that their child be evaluated. This request may be verbal, but it’s best to put it in writing."

I said diagnose. You said you had that power. You don't and are recognizing now you really only have the power to refer, as per IDEA. You do not have the power to diagnose or suggest meds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The bottom line is this: No Child Left Behind was not a good thing. But proponents of CC think it IS a good thing, probably because they are Dems who believe in big government - but only their side.

When teachers start losing autonomy and kids keep melting down, etc, we will see the results of such things. But by then, it will be too late and your options will be gone - kind of like Germany.

It's interesting also to note, the arrogance of teachers on this thread, who refuse to admit that teachers are responsible for what they assign students, who think their skills are so fine they can diagnose a child with a medical condition, and feel they have autonomy over our children, forgetting they are NOT the parent.

Might I suggest you check that arrogance at the door, before you find yourself embroiled in legalities one day.

If you support the Common Core, then you support No Child Left Behind Act. How about that.

(Also, question: which president proposed and signed the No Child Left Behind Act? Answer: that notorious big-government Democrat George W. Bush.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
You are incorrect. I would suggest you look this up if you are a teacher. You cannot tell a parent, for instance, that your kid potentially has ADHD. You have to bring it up to the school psychologist, who can then observe and contact the parent if they feel there is an issue. A teacher can tell a parent that they've observed Johnny getting out of his seat frequently, or that Johnny's handwriting is not up to par with other kids in the class, but CANNOT make a potential diagnosis of any kind.

I am well versed in what I may say or not say to a parent. You bet if his or her child were frequently vomiting at the thought of doing homework that might be confusing, I would suggest the child be evaluated for a learning difficulty.

Good luck with that. It was an interesting exercise in learning for a teacher who told my husband and I to have our son evaluated for Aspergers because he would not look her in the eye when she was correcting him.

She learned damn fast what was legal and what wasn't. And for the record? She was laughed at by the professionals I spoke to. That child is now 19 and has absolutely NO signs of Aspergers. He does, however, have specific memories of this teacher being a generally nasty person.

good thing you had him checked out, anyhow.

We did not have him checked out. We didn't have to because he did not have Aspergers. The professionals I spoke to were friends in the field who knew my kid, and I was relating the incident. Do you really think I would actually put money into a psych evaluation to have my kid tested for aspergers because a teacher said to, despite regular pediatric visits for years, where they routinely screen for autism?

They said teachers do this all the time: pick out one thing and try to diagnose. It never occurs to the teacher that SHE might be the problem, which was the case. What she did was irresponsible and dangerous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:(Because as it has been well established, "Common Core" is a list of standards. So if "Common Core" is dreadful, then it must be a standard that is dreadful.

So look up the standards, and tell us which one or ones are particularly dreadful, for Midwestern children.

It is clear this is a drum teachers beat. BYW? Beck covers this type of mentality.

Standards need implementation. If the implementation is poor, the kids don't learn the standards. So the standards the become moot, whether they are 'poor' or not.

But since public school teachers have not held a job outside of government, I do understand this might be a hard concept to understand for y'all.

If implementation is poor -- address the implementation. No need to change the standards. Talk to the states and the school districts who are purchasing or creating poor curriculum and worksheets and tell them "This is a bad textbook. Buy something different!"

Contact your state department of education and say "Don't add on all these extra hard standards in social studies and Science that are stressing out our kids. Stick to just the Common Core standards, and a few easy achievable standards in Science and Social Studies, like we used to have, not all these hard ones from Core Knowledge. They are too hard for our kids."

I agree with this. I think it can be confusing though- there are obviously a lot of well-informed people on here, but for a general parent with no background in education themselves and hasn't spent an extensive time researching it, how do they know whether the standard is the problem or the implementation? I had posted earlier about relatives complaining about specific science activities and blaming it on Common Core (they live in Mississippi). The more I talk to them, the more I realize their grasp on what Common Core covers (and doesn't) is pretty weak. But somebody told them this stuff was mandated and they believe it (and they're conservative and only watch Fox news, so it just kind of plays into that belief of big bad government anyway). They also thought CC was a nationwide curriculum, not just standards.

[Anonymous]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/w...-and-6-axioms-to-guide-policy/

From " Six Reasons to Reject Common Core"

"An example of a developmentally inappropriate Common Core standard for kindergarten is one that requires children to “read emergent reader texts with purpose and understanding.” Many young children are not developmentally ready to read in kindergarten and there is no research to support teaching reading in kindergarten. There is no research showing long-term advantages to reading at 5 compared to reading at 6 or 7.6"

AND



"The CCSS do not comply with the internationally and nationally recognized protocol for writing professional standards. They were written without due process, transparency, or participation by knowledgeable parties. Two committees made up of 135 people wrote the standards – and not one of them was a K-3 classroom teacher or early childhood education professional. When the CCSS were first released, more than 500 early childhood professionals signed a Joint Statement opposing the standards on the grounds that they would lead to long hours of direct instruction; more standardized testing; and would crowd out highly important active, play-based learning. "

I taught first grade for years. Frequently, a bright child would come in not reading, and by the end of the year. would be at the top of the class--passing many "early readers".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I said diagnose. You said you had that power. You don't and are recognizing now you really only have the power to refer, as per IDEA. You do not have the power to diagnose or suggest meds

No, I never said I could diagnose your child with anything. If you go back and look over this entire tiresome side conversation, you said something about your child getting stressed out by either incorrect or unclear homework to the point of vomiting. I said if that is frequently happening with your child, I would suggest you get the child evaluated for a learning disorder. YOu then said it would be illegal for me as a teacher to do so. I said, no, it would not be illegal. I repeatedly said I would ask that your child be evaluated for a learning problem. I never said I would diagnose your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

You are incorrect. I would suggest you look this up if you are a teacher. You cannot tell a parent, for instance, that your kid potentially has ADHD. You have to bring it up to the school psychologist, who can then observe and contact the parent if they feel there is an issue. A teacher can tell a parent that they've observed Johnny getting out of his seat frequently, or that Johnny's handwriting is not up to par with other kids in the class, but CANNOT make a potential diagnosis of any kind.

I am well versed in what I may say or not say to a parent. You bet if his or her child were frequently vomiting at the thought of doing homework that might be confusing, I would suggest the child be evaluated for a learning difficulty.

Good luck with that. It was an interesting exercise in learning for a teacher who told my husband and I to have our son evaluated for Aspergers because he would not look her in the eye when she was correcting him.

She learned damn fast what was legal and what wasn't. And for the record? She was laughed at by the professionals I spoke to. That child is now 19 and has absolutely NO signs of Aspergers. He does, however, have specific memories of this teacher being a generally nasty person.

good thing you had him checked out, anyhow.


We did not have him checked out. We didn't have to because he did not have Aspergers. The professionals I spoke to were friends in the field who knew my kid, and I was relating the incident. Do you really think I would actually put money into a psych evaluation to have my kid tested for aspergers because a teacher said to, despite regular pediatric visits for years, where they routinely screen for autism?

They said teachers do this all the time: pick out one thing and try to diagnose. It never occurs to the teacher that SHE might be the problem, which was the case. What she did was irresponsible and dangerous.

Teacher sounds like my son's third grade teacher. She was convinced that he had epilepsy because he was checking out mentally. We had him tested. Nothing wrong. She was obsessed with testing--it was the first year of SOL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I taught first grade for years. Frequently, a bright child would come in not reading, and by the end of the year. would be at the top of the class--passing many "early readers".

Well, that's fantastic! That's a good reason why tests such such as the PARCC don't test students until 3rd grade; although there are grade level standards for each grade for end of the year, the summative tests don't begin until the end of 3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I agree with this. I think it can be confusing though- there are obviously a lot of well-informed people on here, but for a general parent with no background in education themselves and hasn't spent an extensive time researching it, how do they know whether the standard is the problem or the implementation? I had posted earlier about relatives complaining about specific science activities and blaming it on Common Core (they live in Mississippi). The more I talk to them, the more I realize their grasp on what Common Core covers (and doesn't) is pretty weak. But somebody told them this stuff was mandated and they believe it (and they're conservative and only watch Fox news, so it just kind of plays into that belief of big bad government anyway). They also thought CC was a nationwide curriculum, not just standards.

Well, with the internet, correct information is only a link away.

People are spreading misinformation via Facebook twitter and links to blogs, but correct information can also be spread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I agree with this. I think it can be confusing though- there are obviously a lot of well-informed people on here, but for a general parent with no background in education themselves and hasn't spent an extensive time researching it, how do they know whether the standard is the problem or the implementation? I had posted earlier about relatives complaining about specific science activities and blaming it on Common Core (they live in Mississippi). The more I talk to them, the more I realize their grasp on what Common Core covers (and doesn't) is pretty weak. But somebody told them this stuff was mandated and they believe it (and they're conservative and only watch Fox news, so it just kind of plays into that belief of big bad government anyway). They also thought CC was a nationwide curriculum, not just standards.

Well, with the internet, correct information is only a link away.

People are spreading misinformation via Facebook twitter and links to blogs, but correct information can also be spread.

And so is lots and lots (and lots and lots and lots and lots) of false information.

[Anonymous]

how do they know whether the standard is the problem or the implementation?

The problem is both. The standard requires implementation and measurement. People are complaining about improper worksheets. Well, if the publisher is creating improper worksheets-what do you think the tests will be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

how do they know whether the standard is the problem or the implementation?

The problem is both. The standard requires implementation and measurement. People are complaining about improper worksheets. Well, if the publisher is creating improper worksheets-what do you think the tests will be?

"The publisher"? There is only one publisher, who is producing both all of the curriculum materials and also all of the tests? Answer: no, there isn't.