Parent Core: Common Core paranoia

Parent Core: Common Core paranoia: Recently Republicans in the great State of Utah, of which I am one, voted in their state convention to not support the adoption of the Commo...

Common Core paranoia

Recently Republicans in the great State of Utah, of which I am one, voted in their state convention to not support the adoption of the Common Core in Utah.

The Common Core is a common set of baseline standards that many states came together to create for many reasons. This was not a federal movement but rather a grass roots state movement. I think it was a great idea. It came about:

1- To encourage curriculum creators to write to the common set of standards allowing for students to be accurately tested and compared.

Under the current system curriculum creators and publishers only pay attention to the largest of states and the standards set by states such as New York, Texas and California. Individual state standards have been highly ignored by the education community.

2- To encourage teachers to focus on standards, evaluate students against mastery of those standards and have the opportunity to share resources across schools, districts and states.

In the official Common Core mission statement it says:

The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.

3- Help parents have a clear understanding of what students are supposed to be learning so that they can be part of the process. I would dare bet that if you had asked 100 parents in your local school 2 years ago about their state standards 99 of 100 would not have had a clue. They probably could not have even found them. With the Common Core, the standards are readily available to all. There are even a plethora of apps for iOS, android or windows mobile. It should be a panacea for parents, teachers, and students. Standardized test scores will finally have significant meaning to all interested publics.

Those who don't like it.

The interesting thing is that the center of the US is all for the Common Core. It is the fringe on both the far right and the far left who do not like it. Why? The right has somehow convinced themselves that the Common Core is a Federal government take over of public education and that they are data-mining information about your students.

1. The Common Core idea and implementation was started by the states, implemented by the states, states have choice within it and the Federal Government really doesn't have a say but thinks it is great and has decided to support it but not mandate.
2. Data mining has gone on forever in education but normally your state is compared to another state whose kids had a completely different core so the data was never valid. There was no way to tell the good from the not so good. All teachers were teaching drastically different things. This type of data mining is essential. In the business world we call this Analytics. We constantly check how we are doing as a company and make improvements constantly and consistently. The Core allows educators to do the same, once again a great thing.

I met a mother a while back who told me the common core was bad because the gates foundation along with some other companies were helping to fund it. Ooo, scary corporate America. I shouldn't make fun but we have asked for years that corporate America help out our schools but when they do we shoot them down. We should thank them for their help and embrace their suggestions.

The good educators embrace it and the poor ones are fighting it, why? The poor educators will no langer be able to hide! Their students scores will stick out like a sore thumbs and we will finally have an opportunity to compare classrooms, schools, districts and states accurately.

Test scores are a poor measure of true student performance but combined with the Common Core will allow us to get an idea of what our kids know, and what they don't.

Those on the fringe left don't like the Common Core because... Well, it isn't left enough.

Glenn Beck, who I actually agree with most of the time, is adamant that the Common Core is an insidious plot by the Federal Government but Mr. Beck is simply wrong.

Having read the entire Common Core I can tell you that it is awesome and it will help kids. There is nothing to be afraid of. States have the option to use it or not and can even change a certain percentage of it to meet their needs.

To see it download the common core app and read it for yourself. Then judge.

This movement, the Common Core, was started by the people and for the people. It is a great movement that will lead to higher learning, higher accountability, and more transparency for parents.

 

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