Category Archives: Common Core

See What ‘Just standards’ Looks Like for A Second Grader

Posted on November 22, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

The pro-Common Core Mantra: “It’s just a set of standards.”

See what my child has been doing in Common Core math. My kid is good at math, but is being forced to learn multiple strategies regardless of what works best for him. Then he has to ‘explain’ them in writing.

These documents I’m talking about were created by Wake County Schools. This is Common Core aligned curriculum and yes, the kids have to do it the ‘Common Core way’.

KEEP READING – SEE THE DOCUMENTS Continue reading →

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So, Who Showed Up To Excellence In Ed’s Annual Event?

Posted on November 21, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Jeb Bush’s Excellence in Ed held its 2014 Summit this week.

Welcome to a “really good fight”.

“Welcome to a really really good fight,” @JebBush on #SchoolChoice and Education Reform. #EIE14 pic.twitter.com/bu7mVx301y

— Charter Schools USA (@CSUSAhq) November 20, 2014

Jeb BushThe guy who is pushing a one size fits all experiment which is locking states and schools across the country into one set of fundamentally flawed and experimental standards is talking about ‘school choice’.

That’s rich.

KEEP READING… Continue reading →

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The Money For The Academic Standards Review Commission

Posted on November 21, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

There are a lot of people out there speculating on the funding to support the Common Core Academic Standards Review Commission (ASRC). Some of the assumptions out there are muddied or incorrect. To clarify the funding for this commission, we need to look at the history of SB 812.

The original version put forth placed funding as the responsibility of the Dept. of Administration (DOA) in section six of the bill.

SECTION 6. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Administration the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) for the 2014‑2015 fiscal year to implement Section 2 of this act.

KEEP READING – THERE IS MORE – HIT THE TIP JAR! Continue reading →

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Video: Common Core Math ‘Strategies’ Versus An 8 YO

Posted on November 20, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Parents across the country have had it with the multiple and often convoluted Common Core Math strategies being forced onto their kids. Proponents claim this is supposed to help them understand math at a ‘deeper’ level.

Are some strategies going to work for one kid but not another? Sure.

Is introducing different ways to work out a problem bad? No.

Is forcing kids to learn all the strategies and apply each of them in order to get credit instead of letting them pick the one that works best for them appropriate? Hell no and it’s confusing the kids and parents alike.

And proponents out there, YES – that is exactly what is happening. Do not try to tell me ‘it’s just a set of standards’ and no one is told how or what to teach because we both know that’s a load of crap.

KEEP READING – THERE IS MORE – SEE THE VIDEO Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core, Video | Tagged | 23 Comments

Modesto Teachers Protest Common Core (Video)

Posted on November 19, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Around 125 teachers showed up to protest the launch of Common Core at a Modesto City Schools board meeting. Teachers claim they are being penalized if they push back or deviate from the Common Core way.

Sounds familiar.

Excerpt from ModBee.com with emphasis added:

KEEP READING – SEE THE RELATED VIDEO CLIP Continue reading →

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NC Common Core Commission Mtg – 11-17-14

Posted on November 18, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

On Monday, the Academic Standards Review Commission met for the 3rd time.
I was only able to stay for the first half of the meeting, but tweeted during my time there.

NC DPI was brought in again, this time to explain the math. DPI brought in a team of 6 to present, however after two hours, the only presenter up there was still the first one – Dr. Jennifer Curtis.

Read my storify article, NC Common Core Review Mtg – 11-17-14, and see why the initial presentation stalled out and the overall theme of parents being ‘misinformed’ and teachers ‘making bad choices’ on curriculum being the problem and not the fundamentally flawed and experimental Common Core. Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Academic Standards Review Commission, Common Core, NC DPI | Tagged | 1 Comment