The Fascist Common Core

[AENeuman]

I know there are a lot of fellow teachers here. I was wondering what you all thought of the Common Core. My district is starting it next year. I have also been working with the University of California Institute to create high school curriculum using common core that better prepares the student for college rigor.

However, I guess the Tea Party, and particularly Glen Beck types have latched on to a world takeover via Common Core.

Here is there top 11 reasons for why it is bad:

Common Core (CC) Facts:
1. CC totally eliminates a parent's control over what is taught to their child/children in the Core. The validity of this statement can be checked by going to your school board to get some objectionable part of the Core changed...it can't be done. Your school board can't change anything, nor can California without ALL states agreeing to the change...and this is not likely.

2. CC is a corporate and Federal Government partnership that will control education. This excludes control by parents, teachers, administrators, school boards, and even individual states.

3. At this time, CC is a set of goals, BUT the course content will be controlled by the repeated, repeated, repeated testing of what is to be learned. The Core now covers math and language arts. In the near future it will also cover social studies and science.

4. CC is designed to prepare your child/children for a managed economy , not a free economy.

5. These CC facts will become obvious to you after viewing the videos on this Web site. Although all the videos and books on this Web site add up to an almost "total picture" of CC, the Glenn Beck videos indicate the extreme seriousness of the issue. Beck completely understands the dangers of the Common Core Curriculum. In addition, be sure to view the Jane Robbins five videos. Jane gives a geat overview of CC.

6. There is NO experimental research that supports the effectiveness of CC. In fact, where models of CC were tried in Chicago and Palo Alto, CA the programs were failures.

7. A database of over 400 personal facts they want kept on each child for the child's lifetime. There are no plans to destroy the information. A few of the examples are: health records, finger prints, Iris scans, DNA, blood type, school attendance, family political leanings, RELIGION, psycholotical information, family income, disiplinary problem, FMRI (brain scans), etc....

8. With the exception of a few states (Alaska, Nebraska, Texas, Virginia) your Governor agreed to Common Core before the standards were written?

9. Common Core is NOT state led?

10. Schools must adhere to the program word for word, with the ability to ADD only a small amount of content-but that additional content will not be on the exam?

11. No one really knows how much Common Core will cost in the future?

[Warhammer]

Ok, I haven't heard much on this, but my concern would be one set of rules applying across the board.

I'm fine with something like this for reading, math, English, and science, but not sure I agree with social studies or history. I would prefer that determined locally. Sure, it's great to know about the US, but a little focus on state and local history would be nice as well.

For example, my oldest in in 5th grade, and he has no clue about what Isaac Shelby, John Sevier, and Andrew Jackson meant to the state of TN. Much less, what they meant to the city of Memphis. Understanding your local history helps you to understand why your area is the way it is, etc.

Also, I am not sure I like the core tenant of one overarching set of rules for teaching our kids, I've had entry of green and consumers are evil drivel I've had to unit each my kids. My youngest wasn't happy when I had to declare him a polluter due to his CO2 emissions...

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm totally down with the basic concept - one national curriculum essentially.

The devil is, as usual, in the details.

[AENeuman]

Originally Posted by Warhammer

Ok, I haven't heard much on this, but my concern would be one set of rules applying across the board.

I'm fine with something like this for reading, math, English, and science, but not sure I agree with social studies or history. I would prefer that determined locally. Sure, it's great to know about the US, but a little focus on state and local history would be nice as well.

For example, my oldest in in 5th grade, and he has no clue about what Isaac Shelby, John Sevier, and Andrew Jackson meant to the state of TN. Much less, what they meant to the city of Memphis. Understanding your local history helps you to understand why your area is the way it is, etc.

Also, I am not sure I like the core tenant of one overarching set of rules for teaching our kids, I've had entry of green and consumers are evil drivel I've had to unit each my kids. My youngest wasn't happy when I had to declare him a polluter due to his CO2 emissions...

I find the CC more flexible because it emphasizes skills rather than facts. For example a new standard reads:

"Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence."

As a teacher I have more options to choose (with department and/or school board consent) the historical event as well as the texts.

[panerd]

10 of the 11 reasons listed sound like a bit of a stretch. I would agree with #7 if I actually thought it was true but I am guessing it isn't. Also #4 but I am pretty sure they currently are teaching government is great already.

However when all is said and done it comes down to #11 anyways. How exactly are they paying for this? I thought this is why NCLB was dropped?

[Buccaneer]

Would such a thing prevent a teacher/school/district from teaching an accelerated and advanced curriculum if the conditions warrant such? Or would they be forced into a standardized level because a one-size-fits-all is an easier approach?

[ISiddiqui]

Maybe some of these conservatives would like it better if they realized liberals aren't fond of the Common Core either .

Common Core Curriculum

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I do think a basic minimum level is a good thing, however. The trick is how to make it non-oppressive.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I don't know whether this is happening elsewhere or if it's just a Georgia thing, but a lot of GOP state legislators are having a cow about CC.

The irony, of course, being that it basically stemmed from the work of a number of Republican governors, including (then) Gov. Sonny Perdue of GA.

Railing about it now frankly a lot of them look exceptionally stupid.

[rowech]

The common core is probably a decent idea to a point but the truth is they're implementing this and nobody has a clue what it's about. They constantly send us to inservices and the speakers always say, "we know as much as you."

It's going to make PARCC rich and that's all it's about for me.

[rowech]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I don't know whether this is happening elsewhere or if it's just a Georgia thing, but a lot of GOP state legislators are having a cow about CC.

The irony, of course, being that it basically stemmed from the work of a number of Republican governors, including (then) Gov. Sonny Perdue of GA.

Railing about it now frankly a lot of them look exceptionally stupid.

Not just governors but it all comes from No Child Left Behind opening the door for something like this and it traces its roots back to Reagan and A Nation at Risk.

At some point people are going to realize we are going down the wrong road even further than we have so far.

Ken Robinson: How to escape education's death valley | Video on TED.com

[PurdueBrad]

We've been working with it for about 2 1/2 years from one of the early drafts. I have to admit, given everything else we've seen along the way, I am a fan of the Common Core. I believe in skills based education and, with teaching being a second career, I look back on my time in business and realize that these kids lack the necessary skills. We've spent far too much time drilling them on curriculum (dates, events, etc.) rather than focusing on the skills (critical thinking, analytical reading, argumentative writing, etc.).

Now, CC is not the answer but I do have to say that it will start to open the door to something better. We're already looking at bringing back a jobs program at the school that, with NCLB, Race to the Top, and the preceding state standards, went away.

I believe that Common Core will prepare these students MUCH more for the Capitalist marketplace much more than anything else we've done along the way. Until I see the PARCC test though, I can't give it a whole endorsement.

[PurdueBrad]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Would such a thing prevent a teacher/school/district from teaching an accelerated and advanced curriculum if the conditions warrant such? Or would they be forced into a standardized level because a one-size-fits-all is an easier approach?

No, we can still do this very same thing and, in fact, our honors and pre-AP curriculum is working to address the skills of the level above them to do just this.

[PurdueBrad]

Originally Posted by AENeuman

Common Core (CC) Facts:
1. CC totally eliminates a parent's control over what is taught to their child/children in the Core. The validity of this statement can be checked by going to your school board to get some objectionable part of the Core changed...it can't be done. Your school board can't change anything, nor can California without ALL states agreeing to the change...and this is not likely.

double dola

I do have to address this one as I find it to be waaaaaay off-base (and I know that this is not a list made by the OP). The parents/school board/admin/teachers still have a ton of control over the methods and delivery system, just not the skills. So, for instance, I can teach a lot of the critical thinking and writing skills using Hamlet and Existentialism but in some communities where that is deemed "too dark", they can do the same thing using Romantic poetry and young adult lit.

[Buccaneer]

I was thinking about something related recently- do high schools teach vocational skills like shop, auto, etc.? I am strongly in favor of vocational skills and private/public partnerships. I know at least one local high school had Cisco funded, built and trained a full computer lab and curriculum. I would think shop and auto would still be useful skills as they were a while back.

[AENeuman]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

Would such a thing prevent a teacher/school/district from teaching an accelerated and advanced curriculum if the conditions warrant such? Or would they be forced into a standardized level because a one-size-fits-all is an easier approach?

Not that I have seen. In fact, I know of several districts that are moving towards written assessments of students rather than grades. These assessments will be a written explanation of the content and demonstrated skills. I think this could actually weed out a lot of mediocre teachers. If parents see the lack of rigor and progression of skills then they will have a lot more validity in their complaints.

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by AENeuman

Not that I have seen. In fact, I know of several districts that are moving towards written assessments of students rather than grades. These assessments will be a written explanation of the content and demonstrated skills. I think this could actually weed out a lot of mediocre teachers. If parents see the lack of rigor and progression of skills then they will have a lot more validity in their complaints.

Unless you're willing to double teacher salaries, then mediocre teachers are what you'll get. People can't expect to demand excellence without paying for it.

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I'm totally down with the basic concept - one national curriculum essentially.

The devil is, as usual, in the details.

Are you TRYING to start Civil War 2: Electric Boogaloo?

Because I'm pretty sure that's what would happen if a national history curriculum standard took effect that eschewed the idea of the "War of Northern Aggression" and taught the Civil War from the Northern perspective.

Or science. Man, science. The Bible Belt would lose its freaking mind if a national science curriculum were adopted which taught climate change and evolution and didn't leave room for the South/Midwest to sneak in its religious agenda.

Civil War 2: Electric Boogaloo. Calling it.

[AENeuman]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

I was thinking about something related recently- do high schools teach vocational skills like shop, auto, etc.? I am strongly in favor of vocational skills and private/public partnerships. I know at least one local high school had Cisco funded, built and trained a full computer lab and curriculum. I would think shop and auto would still be useful skills as they were a while back.

San Jose has the CCOC, which is the last vocational school in California where students go to their home high school half day and CCOC the other half, has the following:

Automotive
Auto Body Repair
Auto Body Repair and Refinishing
Business Occupations

Introduction to PC's
Keyboarding/Word
Microsoft Office 2007
Building Maintenance

Building Maintenance
Solar Applications & Installation
Electrical

National Electric Code

Clinical Unit Secretary (Ward Clerk)
Mechanical Maintenance

Air Conditioning/Refrigeration/Heating Techniques & Electrical Applications
Basic Precision Machining

Welding - All Levels
Medical

Medical Assistant Back Office Clinical (Lab,EKG)
Medical Assistant Front Office
Medical Assistant Terminology
Public Services

Fire Service/First Responder - New for 2011
Visual Communications

Auto CAD 2011
Introduction to Commercial Screen Printing

[Buccaneer]

Why are they the last and why aren't more doing this?

[Young Drachma]

Fascist. Quickest way to make sure sound scary. Call it fascist. Hehe...

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Are you TRYING to start Civil War 2: Electric Boogaloo?

I said the devil was in the details,now didn't I?