Every three or five years, I changed school districts as a child. I spent my K-12 years in four different states. With each move, I was faced with a different set of academic standards and a different set of expectations.
After some moves, I found myself greatly ahead of the curve. In another, I found myself behind what was expected. And in my final move, made before my junior year of high school, I actually had my new high school try to say I was ineligible to be valedictorian because I had taken chemistry “too early” in the sequencing.
We are now a nation on the move. Families move in search of work, to take care of family members, or simply to find better opportunities. With each of those moves, each and every child should be able to expect the same thing from school Sixth grade should be sixth grade, whether it is sixth grade in Connecticut, Georgia, Colorado, or California.
Fortunately, over the past several years 45 states came together to develop a common set of standards for our schools, clearly identifying what should be learned in kindergarten through 12th grade. Led by our nation’s governors and top education leaders, these standards — known as Common Core State Standards — are voluntary benchmarks that assure all kids are getting a world-class education.
Why are these standards important? Five simple reasons:
Why are these standards important? Five simple reasons:
* Common Core offers fewer and clearer standards, providing teachers the ability to focus on their student and tailor their lesson plans to the needs of the classroom
* Common Core goes into greater depth within fewer topics and theories within subjects, allowing for more engaging learning and deeper understanding
* Common Core provides faster results when it comes to assessment, empowering educators to address and course correct
* Common Core is built to focus on understanding and not memorization, prioritizing comprehension, mastery, hands-on learning, and learning that sticks with students
* Common Core allows for better materials for the classroom and allows educators to share ideas and resources
Here in Connecticut, school districts are hard at work to adopt the Common Core, working with educators and communities to develop the lesson plans, professional development, classroom support, and assessments that will provide a path for improvement in all of our classrooms.
Unfortunately, later this week, a group called ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) will be taking up an amendment condemning the Common Core. Between now and the 16th, ALEC’s Board of Directors will vote on whether to approve its “Comprehensive Legislative Package Opposing the Common Core State Standards Initiative.”
Put simply, this is the wrong vote at the wrong time for the wrong reasons. Now, more than ever, the United States needs common academic standards to ensure that, regardless of the state a kid lives in, a 10th grade education always means the same thing. We need to be doing more to establish clear standards, standards that individual states can’t tinker with or lower to make themselves look good. We need one high standard that all states follow, so we can truly compare apples to apples.
It is time to tell ALEC no. Common Core is a positive step forward that this board should not act against. We need to focus our energies on strong implementation and fostering its embrace by the entire school community. It’s the least we can do for our kids.
(The above blog post originally appeared on Patrick Riccards’ Yes Conn, We Can blog on November 8, 2012.)
Eduflack By Patrick R. Riccards 
back support belt elastic
Eduflack: Just Say No to ALEC’s Latest Move
Hello, Mr. Riccards!I moved frequently as a child and spent time in several states and in Australia as well. I had several gaps in my mathematics education that I only filled as I began homeschooling my own children. So I do share your sense of frustration at the catch-up and/or new expectations game we had to play as children. Much of my difficulty, however, came from the unwritten cultural rules in my new places of residence. Those just can’t be legislated away. In any event, like others, I’m very concerned about what this means to people who are on the fringes politically when they homeschool their children. Eventually (let’s not fool ourselves), the standards will likely be applied in some form to us, and we’ll find ourselves faced with the choice between going underground and complying with disagreeable standards.But my primary concern is actually the amalgamation of our culture. Does every town need a McDonald’s and a Wal-Mart? Already the mom and pop stores are pretty much gone. I see this same trend coming in education, and I don’t think it’s a good one. Diversity of THINKING is just as important as diversity of race or culture. I think it does make a difference which curriculum is used and how it is taught. Standardising these things will likely help a few struggling districts pick out some decent curriculum. Overall, however, I don’t think it bodes well for our nation’s culture.I know (it’s been mentioned ad nauseam about everywhere) that there is no written standard as to which particular curriculum schools must use. However, the standards will by their very nature exclude (or be interpreted to exclude) some great materials and informative unit studies. I think it will squelch creativity and student interest. I think it will decrease the value of the teaching profession because Miss Smith will no longer be a professional who can use her discretion as to what to teach when; she’s now a cog in the wheel and lesson 57 WILL be on Friday whether the class understood or cared about lesson 56 on Thursday.I’m not saying all these things to be disagreeable, but just to have a chat with you as to why I think differently despite having a similar experience. 🙂
hotmail
Eduflack: Just Say No to ALEC’s Latest Move
webs.com
Eduflack: Just Say No to ALEC’s Latest Move