These are the Common Core Weekend Reads for February 1st, 2015.

This is a review of the past week of news on Common Core nationwide and in North Carolina.

Articles are organized by category.

Prior Edition of Weekend Reads: 1-25-15

NC Academic Standards Review Commission (ASRC) Updates:

NC ASRC Site 
Next ASRC meeting: February 16th, 1-5 pm. Be aware, location published for February is Dept. of Administration, but January’s meeting was moved on short notice to Dept. of Public Instruction.

NC UPDATES:

• Commission weighs options for common core in N.C.
• What they’re saying about Common Core and Education in NC (WE 1/23/15)
• Who Is Driving Education Policy In NC?
• Clark Appointed CMS Superintendent Through 2016
• 4th Grade Reading Topics
• 4th graders read about the Black Panthers
• 4th graders read about immigration and class

QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

“I don’t know what is worse, nominating someone merely because he’s been nominated twice before or nominating a liberal supporter of Common Core because he has a familiar name,” asked former New Hampshire House Speaker Bill O’Brien, who spoke at a day-long conservative forum in Iowa Saturday featuring a long list of potential presidential candidates.
-The State, ​Bush, Romney face conservative backlash in Iowa

****

“Now it’s a presidential campaign issue. A few would-be Republican candidates — notably former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush — steadfastly support the standards, proving yet again that stubborn consistency in the face of mounting evidence isn’t a virtue.

But the rest see the Common Core as polls show many parents view it: as a confounding and expensive mess that leaves their children to flounder. For any Republican who wants to win, the right side is the parents’ side.”
–Duluth News Tribune, Parents know kids don’t need Common Core, so Politicians should listen

LEGISLATIVE/LEGAL:

• Sandra Stotsky: Sunset No Child Left Behind
• ESEA Reauthorization Being Rammed Through Like Common Core? Does it Bypass State Legislatures?
• Common Core Bills Filed By Multiple States, Nationally
• SC Congressman Files ” Local Control of Education Act”
• W. Virginia Files Common Core Repeal Bill
• Arizona Has Two Common Core Bills

POLITICAL/PROTESTS:

• Washington State Democratic Party Committee Votes to Reject Common Core ​
• Dear John Kasich…
• John Kasich’s Alternate Common Core Reality
• ​Donald Trump: Jeb Bush’s Support of Common Core​ a ‘Disaster’ (video)
• Rand Paul Hits 2016 Rivals on Common Core in Fundraising Email
• Anti-Common Core group appears before Collier Co. Commission again
• Test-driven Reform Supporter David Vitter Is Asking Teachers for Their Money for His 2016 Run for Governor
• PARCC, Common Core focus of criticism at Jackson, NJ hearing

HIGHLIGHTED ARTICLES:

• Refusing to live in the Village of Public Education
• And a Nod To Local Control… Oh, Wait…

THE WEEKEND READS:

• Pearson Is Everwhere: NJ’s $108 Million Contract
• Educause’s Higher Education Project
• Parents are the key
• Mom Says School Stopped Her Daughter From Handing Out ‘Stop Common Core’ Stickers & Buttons
• It’s All About Education: A Recipe for Disaster – Common Core Standards for Kindergarten
• Report: Common Core ‘inappropriate’ for kindergarten
• Mom: Common Core wants kids to develop reading skills at the same pace. My daughters didn’t.
• Why a 7-year-old named Rex gets sad and nervous at school
• Tone-deaf Common Core rives broken communities yet further
• Superbowl CCSS?!

TESTING UPDATES:

• For Louisiana Parents Considering Opting Out
• Louisiana’s Class of 2014 ACT Scores Are In This Post
• N.J. Parents, Educators Knock New State Tests
• LaFayette Family Refuses Common Core Test, More Likely To Follow
• Refuse the Invalid Test
• School superintendent writes ‘warning’ letter on PARCC Common Core test 
• Pearson’s History of Testing Problems
• Smarter Balanced “interim assessments” finally released

VIDEO OF THE WEEK:

• See A Buffalo Teacher’s Rap To Stop Common Core
• Video: Five Conservatives Offer Solutions to Common Core
• ​Kasich on Common Core
• ​Donald Trump: Jeb Bush’s Support of Common Core​ a ‘Disaster’ (video)

TWEETS OF THE WEEK:

“@educationgadfly: “Standards aren’t written for 5-year olds. They’re written for teachers,” says @rpondiscio @KQEDForum” #AmplifyChoice

— Rachel Mullen (@rachelfromohio) January 30, 2015

“use common core like a cudgel” with regard to forcing good curriculum question – R. Pondiscio #AmplifyChoice

— LL1885 – A.P. Dillon (@LadyLiberty1885) January 30, 2015

Central planner @JebBush Fails #CommonCore Test and Disqualifies Himself for Presidency http://t.co/ZWrXN4SeJ4 pic.twitter.com/I7j2B06lc2

— Karl ‏ ن‏Kroshinsky (@KarlKroshinsky) January 29, 2015

@LadyLiberty1885 check this out! Restoring Local Control of Education: A Silver Bullet for Common Core http://t.co/NsrUyWrXOt

— Laura Donnellan (@lauradonn13) January 26, 2015

Jeb Bush’s #CommonCore Hedging Undermines Reform Efforts — http://t.co/fuCCXSUabf #CommonCores #CAstopCC #stopcommoncore #wewillnotconform

— ★✝★ David ★✡★ (@cogitarus) February 1, 2015

5 reasons you should oppose #CommonCore http://t.co/GiS9SooH1p #StopCommonCore

— FreedomWorks (@FreedomWorks) February 1, 2015