Category Archives: Common Core

NC State Senator Politicizes His Vote Against Common Core Repeal

Posted on July 11, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

The only ones ‘politicizing’ Common Core are the supporters, in particular in North Carolina it appears to be mainly elected officials. Yet another example – Senator Jeff Jackson who serves Mecklenburg County who was appointed at the beginning of May.

Voters in that area might want to remember this moment, where Mr. Jackson just marginalized parents, teachers and students across the state in an attempt to score political points:

Just voted against repealing Common Core. This bill was about conservative politics, not sound education policy. #ncga #ncpol

— Sen. Jeff Jackson (@JeffJacksonNC) July 10, 2014

Parents, remember who voted to keep your kid chained to a fundamentally flawed experiment => https://t.co/5brkS3ShK4 #ncpol #ncga

— LL1885 – A.P. Dillon (@LadyLiberty1885) July 11, 2014 Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core, NCGA | Tagged , | 1 Comment

NH Radio Host Takes Fordham’s Brickman To The Woodshed

Posted on July 11, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Here in NC, we’re well versed in the Common Core song and dance routing of Fordham’s Michael Brickman. He thinks NC standards before Common Core ‘sucked’. New Hampshire is getting to know Brickman as well. Apparently, New Hampshire’s standards ‘sucked’ too. Radio Host Richard Girard of the Girard at Large radio show on WLMW took Brickman to task recently.

oh noes cat gates studyI’ve got the audio below and the transcript. Bear with me on the transcript, I used a service for part of it but had to fix some of what the transcription got wrong. The interview and wrap-up runs about 20 or so minutes and is well worth it. Girard’s commentary after Brickman is off the air is not to be missed! The Girard at Large characterizes it as feisty, but I think Girard took Brickman to the woodshed here.

* Big hat tip to Missouri Education Watchdog’s Gretchen Logue, who sent this interview my way. Great find! Missouri has had plenty of run-ins with Mr. Brickman. Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core | 2 Comments

Not All Teachers Love Common Core…

Posted on July 11, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

This article by Lindsey Layton up at the Washington Post, Teachers union convention opens, Common Core on table, is very telling. The opening 2 paragraphs lay out a real narrative changer:

“In response to teachers who are uneasy with the Common Core State Standards, a major teachers union is offering to underwrite projects crafted by teachers to improve the math and reading standards.

Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, is expected to announce Friday that the union will give up to five grants worth as much as $30,000 to teachers for projects aimed at reforming the standards.”

Wait, what? We’ve been told over and over by supporters that all teacher love the Common Core. Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core, Unions | Tagged | 1 Comment

Common Core Repeal Bill Placed On Calendar 7-10-14

Posted on July 9, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

The Common Core bill that was placed in a conference committee has been placed on the Senate calendar for Thursday, July 10th.
It would appear the final version scraps the substitute put in place by the House. That substitute replaced the language of SB 812 with that of HB 1061. The letter from the conference committee states, “Delete the entire House Committee Substitute Favorable 6/23/14, Fifth edition engrossed 6/23/14 and substitute the attached Proposed Conference Committee Substitute S812-PCCS35584-TL-3.”
Boiled down, we are back to the language of SB 812.

Latest version: S812-PCCS35584-CSTL-3
Conference Committee letter: S812-CR-NBC-676
Highlights: Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

GUEST POST: Common Core And The Holocaust

Posted on July 9, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

This is a Guest Post by a concerned citizen on the way Common Core teaches subjects beyond Math and English Language Arts, specifically looking at the Holocaust.
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In a recent post on JNS.org, a public mandate for teaching genocide using the Holocaust as the prime example is suggested. Now, that said, teaching about this important subject (the Holocaust) is not something that should be mandated. Why? Depending on how you view it, it will be too difficult for some ages, learning abilities and flat-out inappropriate for some age/grades.

Also worth considering, what about fact based resources? What about genocide as an entirely separate subject? Frankly, neither subject will be easy nor quick. If we are to truly learn from something as heinous as the Holocaust, we should be able to do much more than recite facts, figures and data. We should be able to have a modern-day practical application students not only identify with, but find easy to carry out. As an educator, I know each subject, the Holocaust and genocide, should be taught in-depth and as an elective – not a mandate, nor to every grade level. To grasp out how Common Core Standards can make a mockery out of world history, let’s look at some of the resources mentioned in the article and see where else this winding road will lead. First up, CChange.

KEEP READING… Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core, GUEST POSTS | Tagged | 1 Comment

A Rebuttal To The Parent Who “Investigated” Common Core

Posted on July 9, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Well, Nancy Stone of Holly Springs mad a splash with the Common Core opposition parents and her “investigation” of Common Core. Or rather lack of investigation. The op-ed having the word ‘investigate’ anywhere in the title is laughable; no ‘investigating’ was done. Instead, this is a not to subtle regurgitation of all the same pro-Core talking points we’ve seen for two years now. It’s about what I’d expect from NC Policy Watch. Prime example:

“..the standards are just very long lists of what students should know and be able to do from Kindergarten through High School.”

Yawn. Taking the literal road are we? Well done ma’am. Yes, standards are just a list.
A fundamentally flawed, experimental list which is age and developmentally inappropriate in the primary grades and dumbs our kids down in the secondary ones. Just a list that dictate testing, materials, curriculum etc. Just a list.

Read the parent letter…. Continue reading →

Posted in Common Core | 1 Comment