Category Archives: Common Core

REMINDER: NC Common Core Symposium 9/27

Posted on September 8, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Just a reminder, I’ll be speaking at a symposium in Cary, NC on Common Core on September 27th. I’ll be talking about the Common Core Commission and how citizens can be aware of the attempt to rebrand Common Core in North Carolina.

Details are below: Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core | Tagged | 1 Comment

Laugh or Cry: Validation Cmte Member’s 4 Sentence Defense of Common Core

Posted on September 8, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Laugh or cry? Somehow, I missed this one.
One of the Common Core Validation Committee members defended her rubber-stamp yes vote on the standards with 4 sentences in the News and Observer.

As the sole North Carolinian on the Validation Committee for the Common Core Standards in math, I studied the data, and the standards are not developmentally inappropriate; they are internationally competitive.

At a time when money is tight and we are starving out our best teachers, are we going to waste public funds and generate two years of chaos creating another set of standards for two years? Mathematics in North Carolina is no different from in any other state. The standards allow economies of scale around professional development, writing tests and developing materials, and they serve the needs of highly mobile, under-performing student populations.

This is nothing more than political maneuvering to curry to ideologues at a devastating cost to our kids.

JERE CONFREY, CARY

Wow. Phone-in that list of talking points much? Did no one tell her they’ve moved on from the “politicizing” talking point she threw in as her concluding sentence?

I left a comment:’

READ MORE…. Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core | 1 Comment

#DM7 Article: NC’s Common Core Commission

Posted on September 7, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

This is a repost of my weekly article at DaTechGuy: The NC Common Core Commission

By A.P. Dillon

Last week, I have an update on the status of replacing Common Core in North Carolina. To recap, from the looks of it, North Carolina’s Governor and State Superintendent are counting on the State Board of Education to shrug off the Academic Standards Review Commission’s (ASRC) work and go with a rebrand. I’d like to hope I’m wrong in that assessment, but that seems to be what they’re saying.

KEEP READING… Continue reading →

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

NCSPIN Covers NC Homeschool Explosion

Posted on September 6, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

At the tail end of NCSPIN episode #827, they covered the explosion in homeschool rates in North Carolina.

At about 23:44, the host makes mention that a lot of the feedback from those pulling their kids to homeschool was due to Common Core, then segues into the NC General Assembly ordering a “re-working” of Common Core. The host asks former Lt. Governor Wicker if the changes to the Common Core will bring those parents and students back into the public school system. Wicker said no, ‘more and more find it an attractive option’. Wicker also did an apologist dance for the Core, saying it was ‘misunderstood’.

Watch: Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core, Homeschool, Video | Tagged , | 4 Comments

NC Paying Out $1.5 Million Over 3 Years To 2 Contractors For Race To Top Monitoring

Posted on September 6, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Two contracts will pay out over $1.5 million to two contractors for monitoring the Race To The Top grant, which was funded by ARRA (the Stimulus). The scope of work includes tracking of jobs created by the grant and professional development – specifically Common Core.

“Each RESA will plan, coordinate and facilitate regional trainings on the new essential standards and Common Core with regional PD leaders. NCDPI will provide facilitators for all sessions, unless otherwise noted.”

Each pay out is $762k over three years at $254k a year. The contracts are EP4821955 Northeast Region Service Alliance (Dr. Holleman) and EP4823540 Sandhills Region Service Alliance (Jim Simeon).

See the contracts and amendments here. Continue reading →

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Common Core Aligned: Tabtor

Posted on September 5, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Common Core Aligned…
“…to create just these kinds of tests—next-generation assessments aligned to the common core. When the tests are aligned to the common standards, the curriculum will line up as well—and that will unleash powerful market forces in the service of better teaching.” – Bill Gates, 2009 Speech To Natl. Conference of State Legislatures

The goal is to align everything so that students and the money have nowhere to go but Common Core.

Last time, we we looked at Khan Academy. Today we look at Tabtor. You’ve likely seen ads for them on Facebook.

KEEP READING Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core | Tagged | 1 Comment