Common Core in Minnesota (Dakota: 2013, house, school district)

[Pennies4Penny]

Hi there! Our family is most likely moving to the Twin Cities area in the next 6-12 months, education being a big reason why we are leaving Arizona. Well, today I read an article about how the Arizona house just voted to get rid of Common Core and they showed a map, which indicates that Minnesota is not using Common Core. It's not a deal breaker for us, especially considering how highly ranked Minnesota schools are, but I was just curious as to why Minnesota is one of the few (and the only blue) states that haven't adopted this program. Is it being discussed? Are people there tending to be for or against it? Is it used in charter or private schools? Honestly just curious.

[Kebinminn]

I don't hear much about Common Core here. It's up the the district. The one we use adopted CC for reading but not for math. They said their standards exceeded those of CC.

[Kamsack]

I live in outstate Minnesota and have 3 young kids in the early grades. Honestly havent heard much about it our school district or in northwestern Minnesota overall. We dont get the Twin Cities TV stations here. It is a hot topic in North Dakota where it was adopted by the state, but in our school district never hear anything about it.

[Kamsack]

I found this from 2013:

But Minnesota adopted the Common Core standards only in reading. The state will opt for its own math standards, as state education officials say they are more rigorous than the new national benchmarks.

Minn. moves ahead with some Common Core education standards | Minnesota Public Radio News

Beyond this I havent seen or heard much about CC. we have two in Kindergarten and one in fourth grade.

[BryaninMSP]

I haven't heard much about it up here. Minnesota's test scores in math were already in the Top 5 nationally, so they didn't want to adopt the less-rigorous CC math standards, as Kamsack pointed out.

If you want to see how seriously Minnesotans take education, you should have seen the "run for the hills" headlines when one ranking barely had us in the Top 10 overall last year. Hopefully that spurs some action legislatively to get us back in the Top 3 where we belong.

[TimtheGuy]

I have seen many examples of math Common Core from my wife's home state down south. It looks ridiculous imo. They have heated debates on getting rid of it.

Here in MN, the few parents I have mentioned it to have never heard of it.

[Glenfield]

The common core math curriculum (Singapore math) drives parents crazy because it is so different from the methods they themselves learned in school. The schools have generally done a poor job of transitioning older elementary aged kids into the program, and have done virtually nothing to familiarize parents with the method. In Singapore, where the math curriculum was developed, the government sponsors workshops for the parents. I suppose the schools would give the usual lack of resources argument to explain their failings .

[Pennies4Penny]

Thanks, I like these responses! It is discussed a lot down here and honestly the Arizona education system is in such a disgusting state, it needs it. I was confused about Common Core as well, but my teacher friend showed me an article that explained the math side of it in detail and it makes perfect sense to me now. I haven't researched much about the reading side.

Hearing about the exceptionally high standards of education there is really inspiring and makes me want to move there even more. Ugh! My oldest starts kindergarten this fall. I enrolled her in a charter school, which is better than a public school, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that we can get out of here before she starts in July.

[BryaninMSP]

They start kids in school in July in Arizona? That seems cruel, considering how hot it gets there. Almost as cruel as making kids walk to school when the wind chill is -20. At least here we give the kids all summer off.

A neighbor of mine moved up here from Phoenix last year and is a teacher. She speaks highly of the difference in educational approaches between Arizona and Minnesota, so I imagine you're looking forward to the change.

Best of luck.

[Pennies4Penny]

Originally Posted by BryaninMSP

They start kids in school in July in Arizona? That seems cruel, considering how hot it gets there. Almost as cruel as making kids walk to school when the wind chill is -20. At least here we give the kids all summer off.

A neighbor of mine moved up here from Phoenix last year and is a teacher. She speaks highly of the difference in educational approaches between Arizona and Minnesota, so I imagine you're looking forward to the change.

Best of luck.

Most schools do year round school here because of the heat. Six weeks off in summer, two in the fall, three at Christmas and two in the spring. More time off during the better weather. I feel so sad for kids here during the summer. That is supposed to be their free time, and they spend it trapped indoors.

I haven't had any direct experience with schooling yet, but I definitely do not want my kids going here long term.