Category Archives: Common Core

All Due Respect, Common Core Has To Go

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

Of course everyone wants high standards. This is why we oppose Common Core.
“The biggest fallacy of the Common Core standards is that they have been sold to the nation without any evidence that they will accomplish what their boosters claim.” – Diane Ravitch

All due respect to John Locke Foundation’s President, John Hood, but his latest article on Common Core is really a rather depressing pat on the back to the English Language standards and likely setting ablaze the hair of parents like me reading it. The rest of the article kind of hangs on this premise in this paragraph: Continue reading →

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NC Civics Test Question On The Constitution

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

With all the crazy examples of ‘modified’ teaching of the U.S. Constitution floating around out there coupled with the fundamentally flawed and experimental Common Core Standards, parents these days have to scrutinize what is being put to their kids more than ever. Take the example sent to me from Buncombe County, North Carolina. In April, a 9th grade student in Buncombe county schools found themselves answering “E” to this question:

8. Which best demonstrates the US Constitution is a “living” document?

A. Over 20 Amendments are added to the Constitution each year.

B. Extends rights of criminals so that they can have equal justice under the law.

C. There have been 27 Amendments added to the Constitution.

D. The President, with the help of his cabinet, can make revisions to the Constitution.

Sigh. Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core, EDUCATION | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Arnold on NCSPIN: Your donations will go to push Common Core

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

Former NC General Assembly member and board member of NC Schools Public Forum went on NCSPIN and talked about Common Core. What we heard was the same talking points coming out of the NC Chamber. In fact, Arnold would go on to say the Chamber will use political donations as a threat in order to force keeping Common Core. Keep reading, we’ll get to the clips from the show.

This set of pro-Common Core talking points used by Arnold is unsurprising for a few reasons. For one thing, Arnold is a board member of Public School Forum NC, which is partnered with the NC Chamber of Commerce. Another reason being that Chambers of Commerce and Business groups in multiple states all bought the Common Core sales job.

The NC Chamber’s Education Foundation has just such an initiative called “Hire Standards”. The NC Chamber’s Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) according to their site and 990 forms. The Education Foundation received $25,000 from the NC Chamber in 2012 according to their Schedule 1 in their 990 tax filing. 2013 is not available yet, but a good guess is the amount is larger. Make no mistake, “Hire Standards” is a who’s who of pro-Common Core, including the owners of the copyrighted standards, The CCSSO — of which State Superintendent Atkinson is now President-elect. Conflict of interest anyone?

KEEP READING… Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core | Tagged , | 5 Comments

NC Common Core Replacement Bill – HB1061

Posted on May 16, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Common Core opposition in North Carolina is seeing light at the end of the tunnel. The bill number has been assigned and it is HB106, “Replace Common Core To Meet NC’s Needs”.

ACTION ITEM:

This bill needs more co-sponsors. We have until 5pm today to get this done. So get on the phone and call your Representative and Senator. Make sure you reference the bill number and name HB106, “Replace Common Core To Meet NC’s Needs”.

Not sure who represents you or don’t have their contact information handy?

Find out who represents you HERE.
Find out HOUSE contact information HERE.
Find out SENATE contact information HERE. Continue reading →

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

Laugh or Cry? Years of Math 1950-2014

Posted on May 15, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

A little humor.. or maybe a cry slid into my inbox. I adapted it for 2014. Enjoy.

Years of Math 1950 – 2014

Last week I purchased a burger at Burger King for $1.58. The counter girl
took my $ 2 and I was digging for my change when I pulled 8 cents from my
pocket and gave it to her. She stood there, holding the nickel and 3 pennies,
while looking at the screen on her register. I sensed her discomfort and
tried to tell her to just give me two quarters, but she hailed the manager
for help. While he tried to explain the transaction to her, she stood there
and cried.
Why do I tell you this?

Because of the evolution in teaching math since the 1950s:
KEEP READING…. Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core | Tagged | 3 Comments

WRAL Finally Publishes Piece On ‘Botched’ Common Core

Posted on May 15, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

WRAL finally has an article that talks about parent frustrations with Common Core.

An Iowa woman jokingly calls it “Satan’s handiwork.” A California mom says she’s broken down in tears. A Pennsylvania parent says it “makes my blood boil.”
What could be so horrible? Grade-school math.

As schools around the U.S. implement national Common Core learning standards, parents trying to help their kids with math homework say that adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing has become as complicated as calculus.

They’re stumped by unfamiliar terms like “rectangular array” and “area model.” They wrestle with division that requires the use of squares, slashes and dots. They rage over impenetrable word problems.

Stacey Jacobson-Francis, 41, of Berkeley, California, said her daughter’s homework requires her to know four different ways to add.

“That is way too much to ask of a first grader,” she said. “She can’t remember them all, and I don’t know them all, so we just do the best that we can.” – WRAL 5/15/14
I noticed this article is in the “Lifestyles” section, not the education section. It’s also written by an AP reporter, not WRAL staff. One or two more snippets to drive it home that Common Core is fundamentally flawed and overly convoluted:

“If we are sitting there for 20 minutes trying to do a simple problem, how is an 8, 9, 10-year-old supposed to figure it out?” she said. “It’s incredibly frustrating for the student and the parent.” – WRAL 5/15/14 Continue reading →

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