Common Core Generates Catholic Concerns

Filed in Common Core State Standards by on June 18, 2013 0 Comments
Common Core Generates Catholic Concerns

Charlotte Hays of the National Catholic Register had a piece up on how the Common Core State Standards are becoming the cause of concern within Catholic circles. She writes: Catholic schools and dioceses across the country will have to decide whether to adopt the CCSS. Although the National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) isn’t endorsing the [...]

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David Coleman Lauds the Use of Student Data

Filed in Privacy Invasion/Data Mining by on June 17, 2013 3 Comments

David Coleman, President of the College Board and “chief architect” of the Common Core State Standards, spoke at the Annual Strategic Data Project (SDP) Beyond the Numbers Convening hosted by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.  The theme was “from the classroom to the boardroom: analytics for strategy and performance.”  He lauded [...]

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Texas Bans Common Core

Texas Governor Rick Perry signed HB 462 on Friday effectively banning the Common Core State Standards from the state.  You may remember this passed the Texas House overwhelmingly on a 140-2 vote.  It passed the Texas Senate on May 21.  An amended version was approved by the Texas House on May 23.  It was sent [...]

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Fordham Institute: Next Generation Science Standards Five Flaws

How bad were the Next Generation Science Standards?  So bad that the Fordham Institute which loved the Common Core couldn’t give these standard better than a C.  A race to mediocrity in which Kansas crossed the finish line. Here are five of the “significant flaws” as defined by Fordham: Much essential content was omitted. The [...]

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Kansas Adopts Mediocre Science Standards

Kansas Adopts Mediocre Science Standards

The Kansas Board of Education met on June 11th with a packed room at the Kansas Department of Education building in Topeka, KS.  Walt Chappell reported standing room only where people had to stand along the walls and in the hallway to watch a TV monitor. He wrote to me in an email: We had [...]

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Common Core Withdrawal Bill Filed in New York Assembly

Common Core Withdrawal Bill Filed in New York Assembly

Bill A07994 was filed yesterday in the New York Assembly and then referred to the education committee.  This bill will halt the implementation of the Common Core State Standards and Race to the Top in the State of New York if passed. Below is the text of the bill: 2013 Race to the Top & [...]

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Comparing Aspects of Common Standards

J. Wilson created a side by side comparison of some aspects of the Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards and C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.  I think it’s a helpful tool and he gave me permission to share it here.  They are not all the same and I have found that [...]

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We’re Not Misinformed; We Know What Common Core Is, & We Reject It.

Filed in Common Core State Standards by on June 13, 2013 1 Comment
We’re Not Misinformed; We Know What Common Core Is, & We Reject It.

In Utah this year, GOP state delegates passed a resolution that opposed Common Core, by a 65% vote. The National GOP passed a similar resolution. The Michigan legislature passed a bill that defunded Common Core. Indiana legislators passed a year-long time-out bill to pause Common Core. Similar efforts by Republicans and Democrats are growing in [...]

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Common Core Makes a Surprise Appearance in Texas

Filed in Common Core State Standards by on June 13, 2013 7 Comments
Common Core Makes a Surprise Appearance in Texas

A mother of a third grader living in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area in Texas messaged us through our Facebook page (be sure to like us).  She wrote: Look what came home in my 3rd grader’s backpack today to use as summer practice? This is the book they’ve been using all year (unbeknownst to me). It [...]

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A Glimpse of Math Homework from a Parent’s Point of View

Filed in Common Core State Standards by on June 12, 2013 4 Comments
A Glimpse of Math Homework from a Parent’s Point of View

Meredith Gavin, a parent in New York State, emailed me this morning with a video she made of her third grade son, Liam, doing his math homework.  She wrote: This is a prime example of how my son’s brain gets confused, when he is given homework that entails knowing several different concepts that he struggles [...]

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