On to the second question posed some months back regarding Common Core; specifically, 2. What about Common Core? This is a massive program from the feds, but what educational goals does it meet, and how do local districts influence it? Common Core is another of those Federal programs that is so massive in its undertaking that no one should simply sign on to its premise without a good deal of debate and honest questioning. Before I make mention of some specifics, let me suggest several reasons why something this all-encompassing should be sending up red flags everywhere. When was the last time that anything absolutely controlled by the Federal government ever worked well? Im not talking about currency, the mail. highway systems, etc. These are applications made necessary for the ease of commerce and travel and only make sense given the variety and expanse of our country. Consider quickly, if you will, the success of Obamacare. Not only is Obamacare a monster of a program, quite beyond the realization of even those who penned it, but even as we speak about it, it is failing miserably in many States and has already betrayed millions of people who were told they could keep their doctors and insurance plans if they wanted to. Some have attempted to blame Romneycare for the idea of Obamacare, but clearly fail to understand that Romney never intended Romneycare to become the signature insurance program for the entire country. In fact, Romney stated up front that Massachusetts would have to experiment with such a program until they got it mostly right; and, and this is a big and, it was clearly voted upon and received bi-partisan support. No such support was ever associated with Common Core. Yes, there are 46 States adopting CC with a few minor subtractions or additions, but for the most part, they are agreeing to a program that has never received any field time. No one has any idea how this program will work or how well. And shouldnt it bother every American that the government may enter into a monopoly of sorts when the very fabric of our nation has been woven by the diversity of thought and action from its citizens! Isnt the marketplace of ideas, success/failure, sharing of the best ideas what truly constitutes our best practices? Well, it does! And this is precisely what CC dismisses without so much as a survey. I know this is getting lengthy, so Ill conclude with some remarks from Diane Ravitch, hardly a conservative by even relaxed standards, just so no one might think Im stacking the deck here. Consider these remarks from her: The Common Core standards have been adopted in 46 states and the District of Columbia without any field test. They are being imposed on the children of this nation despite the fact that no one has any idea how they will affect students, teachers, or schools. We are a nation of guinea pigs, almost all trying an unknown new program at the same time. Maybe the standards will be great. Maybe they will be a disaster. Maybe they will improve achievement. Maybe they will widen the achievement gaps between haves and have-nots. Maybe they will cause the children who now struggle to give up altogether. Would the Federal Drug Administration approve the use of a drug with no trials, no concern for possible harm or unintended consequences? President Obama and Secretary Duncan often say that the Common Core standards were developed by the states and voluntarily adopted by them. This is not true. They were developed by an organization called Achieve and the National Governors Association, both of which were generously funded by the Gates Foundation. There was minimal public engagement in the development of the Common Core. Their creation was neither grassroots nor did it emanate from the states. In fact, it was well understood by states that they would not be eligible for Race to the Top funding ($4.35 billion) unless they adopted the Common Core standards. Federal law prohibits the U.S. Department of Education from prescribing any curriculum, but in this case the Department figured out a clever way to evade the letter of the law. Forty-six states and the District of Columbia signed on, not because the Common Core standards were better than their own, but because they wanted a share of the federal cash. In some cases, the Common Core standards really were better than the state standards, but in Massachusetts, for example, the state standards were superior and well tested but were ditched anyway and replaced with the Common Core. The former Texas State Commissioner of Education, Robert Scott, has stated for the record that he was urged to adopt the Common Core standards before they were written. And this is only the beginning of my concerns regarding Common Core education, but there are only so many hours in the day, I know!!!
Posted on: Sun, 05 Oct 2014 22:12:01 +0000
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