Thoughts on Common Core (Tampa: 2014, buying, school districts)

[abbara]

I am just wondering how many parents are aware of Common Core and its details.

Such as anyone who sells anything to schools can access all your private information in the school records.

Also that much literature will be replaced with work books.

Some states are already rallying against it and Gov Scott is having 2nd thoughts.

[boy3365]

I am not a parent, but just in case this topic gets political, please note that Common Core has both bipartisan support and bipartisan opposition.

One political party wants to portray this as the other party's agenda to federalize the schools when some of the most ardent supporters of Common Core come from that same political party.

[America097]

First, let me say that this will be a long post. Also, if you are interested, you can find the actual standards Florida is implementing at cpalms.org the education standards site for Florida teachers. Also, the Tampa Bay Times looked into some of the rumors about Common Core. PolitiFact | Fact-checking attacks on Common Core school standards

I am still coming to a decision about how I feel about common core, but here are my understandings based on my experience, research, and training as an educator:

What I feel are pros
1. One idea behind Common Core is to have National Standards so students across the country are learning the same concepts in each grade. Since our country seems to have become more transient this would help students not have a gap in their learning if they move from one state to another.

2. Instead of covering many topics and just touching the surface, less topics will be covered more in depth so students have a very good, thorough understanding of each topic. (Example: Instead of two weeks or so teaching how to determine the meaning of a word by its context, we will teach it for six weeks with all the different ways an author helps give you the definition.) Also, Common Core emphasizes the importance of higher level thinking. It expects more from the students that the current standards.

3. Almost everyone I have spoken to acknowledges that students generally perform low on the informational texts portion of the FCAT, and Common Core wants to bump up fiction/nonfiction to about 50/50 which seems as though it would be a positive step from curriculum that was primarily fiction based. (at least at my grade level) Common Core also promotes more integrated subjects, or thematic teaching, which I personally like. It also puts a higher emphasis on writing in all areas, not only at writing time.

What I feel are cons
1. I feel that the implementation of the standards was not done well in Florida. In 2011-12, partial implementation was required for students in K-2 with full implementation of the standards in 2012-13. This year, partial implementation is required for 3-5, and full implementation by next year in 2014-15. Upper elementary students will be tested on these new standards that will require (last I heard- based on the PARCC test) writing essays using examples from the text, explanations of solutions in math, and higher level thinking questions in reading. This will be very different from the current FCAT with mostly multiple choice questions and only writing to a prompt in fourth grade. It is not fair to these students to test them in such a different way without them having much experience with the new expectations.

2. From my understanding, the standards are copyrighted and belong to a private company (I think it is Pearson but not sure). Each time they are used, the company makes money. So it feels as though someone thought of creating and promoting the standards for a profit under the veil of "It's in the best interests of the children in our Country."

3. Standards are not always appropriate for the students in early grades. There is a push for more direct instruction with students sitting still for longer, more standardized testing, and less hands-on learning. Actually, it has been this way for a while in kindergarten and first grade, but is becoming even more so. There is research to suggest this is a poor way to start off their education, and I have students in upper grades who lack basic skills such as gluing and cutting as well as vital social skills.

There are many rumors going around recently about Common Core:
1) People will have access to personal records without permission. This goes against the Family Education and Privacy Act of 1974. They cannot release information attached to names.

2) Teachers will have to teach a certain way. Public school teachers in Orange County already have to teach one way based on Marzano's The Art and Science of Teaching and What Works in Schools. This was before the arrival of Common Core. I do, We do, You do for those that can relate...... And actually supposedly Common Core is promoting discovery of concepts, puts more emphasis on your own thinking that led you there, and your explanation as long as it makes sense.

3) Teachers have to teach a national curriculum. Teachers have to teach the standards. They can do that with any curriculum the district, school, or teacher chooses. In my experience, it is usually the district that chooses for you. For example, I believe that Orange County is using Journeys for Reading and GO MATH! which actually has a huge amount of math manipulatives for teaching concepts. Whereas my school (a charter) is using Wonders for Reading (with a push for integrating more chapter books) and Envision for Math. But overall I have always been told the curriculum is a resource and my responsibility is to teach what skills are outlined in the standards.

4) The ultimate goal is for a federal takeover of education. I have no idea if this is true, but if it is, I hope they offer equal money to all schools instead of the poorer districts getting less funding and the richer districts getting more. I mean I know it couldn't be equal across the country cause the costs of running schools would differ, but at least in each district it should be the same. It's not fair when some schools are running out of toilet paper and soap while others are buying tablets for each student. (Yes, I know of a school that ran out last year and yet - how many schools piloted tablets/laptops for students this year?)

5) The standards are underfunded. Probably true- from my understanding neither was NCLB. How high do you want your taxes to be?

However, I think Gov. Scott is having second thoughts because he realizes that 1) it will costs the state a lot of money to buy the technology needed to give the PARCC test, 2) students will not perform well because they have not been taught these standards long enough, and 3) it is a way to try to gain political support or be in the spotlight.

[WithDisp]

^ Point 4 above is a big issue with me.

The states have a constitutional right to educational curriculum writing, the Federal Department of Education (ED) should and previously has never held any authority in US K-12 educational standards / assessment / etc.
They have absolutely no right to tie federal funding into a forced adoption of a curriculum, this is a huge overstepping of boundaries.

Common Core is a standards based money pit, as is Marzano- to explain why teachers are 'failing' to produce college ready students- alongside issues that have come about the broken No Child Left Behind act.

Many states have multiple forms of a HS diploma- ranging from Basic to IB. If the student earns a high school diploma above the basic level, and yet come into a college 'deficient', then ultimately that diploma is worthless.

There is a direct correlation between the amount of students who went to college 50 years ago, and the amount of students who are deemed 'college ready' today. 80% of students are not 'college ready' today, because 100% of the population cannot be at that top 20th percentile of intelligence and academic performance.

Colleges should not need to dupe school districts into catering their educational systems into a convenient package for them. Colleges have the right to be selective- if between SAT scores, personal statements, and school grades/information about districts they are still accepting students who cannot read/write or function mathematically, it's their own fault.

In summation-
High Schools need to back the diplomas they issue. If a student isn't graduation material- they should not graduate.
Colleges should only admit students who meet their baseline standards.

Like all movements of education though, this policy will just last long enough until the next thing comes in. With all that said, if state officials, teachers, and the ED are all in agreement of a common curriculum, I am not opposed to the idea of dissolving the 51 DOEs and giving the fed control. However it does no one any good to have both federal and state involvement in the issuance of curriculum.

[zinctwentyone]

Commoncore is horrible and I nor my wife will ever allow our children to be schooled with this. I was surprised to see that Jeb Bush was behind it, but I have always heard he was one of those big government republicans that the tea party needs to change this coming election. If you want your child in with common core than you simply do not care. Big government is out of control and we need to get it back for our kids sakes.

[zinctwentyone]

Originally Posted by boy3365

I am not a parent, but just in case this topic gets political, please note that Common Core has both bipartisan support and bipartisan opposition.

One political party wants to portray this as the other party's agenda to federalize the schools when some of the most ardent supporters of Common Core come from that same political party.

Yes it's true, we are dealing with certain old timer republicans that are just as bad as the liberals. I agree.

[totsuka]

The biggest problem with Common Core is the local and state education system has to toe the line from Washington DC. If DC makes changes the locals have to follow the changes. Also, collecting data will become the primary concern rather than improving education. This is just another "good idea" that DC will ruin with their inept corrupt way of managing big government programs.