Photo credit: Karen Murphy (CC-By-ND 2.0)
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton discussed Common Core during her meeting with the Newsday editorial board in Melville, NY.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Monday called the Common Core curriculum’s implementation a “disaster,” but said she continues to support a uniform national education standard for the United States.
“I have always supported national standards,” Clinton said in a nearly hourlong question-and-answer session Newsday’s editorial board in Melville.
Clinton noted that Common Core started off as a nonpartisan effort, that was endorsed by the majority of state governors. she said its implementation likely led to the widespread frustration with the curriculum among parents and teachers.
“I think the rollout was disastrous … the expectation that you could turn on a dime,” Clinton said. She said some states did not adequately train teachers in the new curriculum, or did not have materials for students when Common Core was rolled out.
She also does not have a problem with the tests as she wouldn’t opt her granddaughter out, but doesn’t want them to be applied to teachers’ unions.
I wrote back when she first defended Common Core. “Calling something “non-partisan” doesn’t mean it lacks ideology or that it is good.  Does Clinton even understand why parents oppose Common Core?  I doubt it or she doesn’t care.”
I still think she either doesn’t know or doesn’t care, but wants to make sure she doesn’t want teachers evaluated on it to make the unions happy.
This is consistent with what she said in Iowa before the Iowa Caucuses. Weak sauce. The Common Core implementation in New York was a disaster because the Common Core State Standards are a disaster.
Common Core is Hillary Clinton’s education program. It’s what she was fighting for when Bill Clinton was Governor for which he was working closely with then-President George H.W. Bush. According to Dr. Peg Luksik in her 1:43 min. video at foundedontruth.com, the standards were first mandated in 1994 in Goals 2000 under President Bill Clinton. So, the mandated standards are less than 25 years old. [A week ago you reported that Diane Ravitch is against Common Core testing. Over a year ago I attended an event at nearby Quinnipiac University where Ravitch spoke. Ravitch did not speak against Common Core, but only spoke against Common Core testing.] I heard Dr. Peg Luksik speak in Massachusetts a year ago, and Luksik understands true education reform – she has helped me to connect so many of the dots in education and I support her education reform recommendations. While Hillary Clinton has been striving for decades to tear our education system down, Dr. Peg Luksik has been striving for decades to restore our great education system. Janet Roberts, CT
Clinton says she wouldn’t opt her granddaughter out of the test. Shouldn’t that be Chelsea’s and her husband’s decision? I’m sure they won’t have to make that decision, though, as their child will most likely be enrolled in a private school that doesn’t use the Common Core Standards.