These are the Common Core Weekend Reads for March 8, 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: 02-22-15

* Last weekend, the CC weekend reads were not available. This edition will be longer than usual to include some news that should have been included on 3-1-15.

NC Academic Standards Review Commission (ASRC) Updates:

NC ASRC Site 

• Next ASRC meeting: March 16th, 1-5 pm.
  This is a critical meeting to attend. Sources tell me that Dr. Sandra Stotsky and Dr. James Milgram will be presenting testimony to the ASRC.
•  Will NC Common Core Commission FINALLY Get Their Funding?

NC UPDATES:

• Public School Forum Declares the Book Closed on Common Core, Whistles past Many Shortcomings
• Poll: Strong Opposition for Common Core, Strong Support For NC Opportunity Scholarships
• An Unsolicited “Common Core” Email From DPI
• Where ASRC Member Ann Clark Was During The January Meeting
• Kentucky’s Issues With Standards and What NC Can Learn

APUSH:

• Jane Robbins talks Advanced Placement on CNN

QUOTES OF THE WEEK: The Fordham Agenda & Desperation

“These events haven’t convinced conservative reformers and others of the unlikelihood of a No Child reauthorization. In fact, both former Fordham Institute President Checker Finn and Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute have pieces out lionizing the Student Success Act as legislation that reaffirms the role of states in setting education policy.

The fact that both Finn and Hess conveniently ignore that this was actually done by No Child, which gives states wide leeway in meeting basic accountability for student achievement in exchange for federal dollars they agree to receive, shows that both men are engaging in pure intellectual sophistry.”
– DropOutNation, No Child Reauthorization has no shot

*  *  *  *

“Republicans are vulnerable here,” said Michael Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative think tank that backs education reform. “They really have to be careful about backing away from their commitment to accountability and to higher standards. 

“The Republican Party has been a leader on this in Colorado and in other states. I don’t think they want the label as ‘the party of no’ when it comes to education reform.”​
-Denver Post, Colorado GOP reverses course on Academic Standards, tests

LEGISLATIVE/LEGAL:

• Data & Privacy Under Attack: SETRA, S. 227
• MD Officials Find Common Core PARCC Test ‘Loop-hole’
• AZ lawmakers reject challenge to Common Core
• West Virginia House Votes to Repeal Common Core
• APIA Blasts Congressional Leadership for Attempting to Ram Child Data Collection Bill Through Congress
• No Child Reauthorization has no shot
• Common Core Repeal Bill Hits Colorado House
• Common Core Opt-Out Filed Introduced in Oregon House
• Jindal’s Common Core Lawsuit Allowed to Continue
• Unable to repeal Common Core, foes try sabotage (So much for “state-led”?)
• CPS caves to $1.4 billion federal threat over Common Core test (So much for “state-led”?)

POLITICAL/PROTESTS:

• NM Student on PARCC Walk-Out: “some students are going to stop going to school.”
• Common Core Tweet and Facebook Posting of the Day Regarding Opt-Outs
• Don’t Buy Jeb Bush’s CPAC Spin on Common Core
• Ted Cruz Comes to Florida to Attack Jeb Bush on Common Core
• Louisiana governor candidate Scott Angelle comes out against Common Core
• Ron DeSantis, Mark Walker Push Back Against Common Core
• Iowa crowd witnesses Gov. Christie’s Common Core evolution
• New Jersey Parents, Students Upset Over Common Core Testing Stand Up, Take Action

HIGHLIGHTED ARTICLES:

• Is Common Core abusive? This mom thinks so.
• Alice In Wonderland
• Video: Parents In FL Shut Down When They Criticize Curriculum.
• Faux Free Speech in Jeb Bush’s Faux Educational Utopia, Florida.
• Detroit Public School To SUSPEND KIDS If Parents Miss Common Core Test Meeting

THE WEEKEND READS:

• Just 17% of Americans Support Common Core
• On Military Bases, Common Core by Another Name
• Pearson Is Everywhere: PISA 2018
• Washington Paying Attention To The People?
• About That ‘Twitter Debate Study’ WaPo And Twitchy Cite
• Stacked EWA Panel On Common Core
• Schools reschedule Dr. Seuss’s birthday fests so kids can take Common Core tests
• La. teacher gestapo’d for criticizing Common Core
• The Louisiana Teacher Who Was Fired for Publicly Criticizing Common Core Is Hitting Back
• Common Core is turning First grade into a nightmare

TESTING UPDATES:

• The Smarter Balanced Connections
• Smarter Balanced Ruled Unconstitutional in Missouri!
• Michigan pays $4.9M for membership in SBAC Common Core group
• Superintendent Telling Tales Out Of School
• The SBAC Common Core Tests in Math Are So Flawed They Should Not Be Used
• A Teacher (Who is also a State Legislator) Supports Parents’ Right to Opt Their Children Out of SBAC Tests
• High School in Seattle says “No!” to the Common Core SBAC Assessments
• PARCC Pull-Out Bill Advances in Arkansas House
• Terrebonne officials to revisit ban on Common Core tests (Louisiana)
• SAT Tutor says don’t take the new SAT

VIDEO CLIPS OF THE WEEK:

• Christina Leventis: Why Common Core Will Fail
• Parents make desperate plea to fight Common Core in this heartbreaking video
• Peg Luksik at CPPAC in NY 
• NJ Common Core Test Is So Confusing, Even Parents Find It Difficult

TWEETS OF THE WEEK:

Why has NC not withdrawn? @ncpublicschools The SBAC Common Core Tests in Math Are So Flawed They Should Not Be Used http://t.co/otUKT7D7vc

— LL1885 – A.P. Dillon (@LadyLiberty1885) March 7, 2015

Candidates take note! #CPAC2015 Poll: 58% Say Common Core Support a Dealbreaker via @ThePulse2016 http://t.co/FCFZ5Hxa1b #StopCommonCore

— Parents Against CC (@NoToCommonCore) March 5, 2015

Public School Forum Declares Book Closed on Common Core, Whistles past Many Shortcomings – http://t.co/62fAwBf062 #NCed #StopCommonCore

— LL1885 – A.P. Dillon (@LadyLiberty1885) March 5, 2015

Hi @campbell_brown Newsflash: The moms are winning. #StopCommonCore Former CNN Anchor Slams Common Core Opponents http://t.co/gGZLAqmiIx

— LL1885 – A.P. Dillon (@LadyLiberty1885) March 3, 2015

.@LadyLiberty1885 Calling out vs principled disagreements? You decide http://t.co/NdiY7LuQPj Lots of assumptions here pic.twitter.com/c9QF6qXfy9

— Logue (@manateespirit) March 2, 2015

RT @TwitchyTeam ‘iPad minis?!’ Is your kid being bribed to take the PARCC test? http://t.co/pWtDrLoGoS @JamieSimon #StopCommonCore

— Michelle Malkin (@michellemalkin) March 2, 2015