Tag Archives: Common Core

A Response To Public Schools First’s Common Core Propaganda Piece

Posted on September 27, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

I found this article at the Common Core pushing Public Schools First NC site linking to my site. In the article, they quote me on Common Core:

2. and 3. “The standards are dumbing down the kids”/ “The standards are too hard for the kids”


According to Glenn Beck’s website, “Many teachers, educators, and parents believe Common Core is dumbing down America’s children.” At the same time, some find the standards too hard. In a piece for WUNC, Reema Khrais featured parent Andrea Dillon who “says Common Core is not developmentally appropriate for her son. ‘Just for an example, they’re doing persuasive writing pieces in first-grade where he has to have an opening sentence, three supporting sentences and a closing argument for a text he’s read, and he has to do that on his own – he’s seven,’ she said.”

So which is it? Too simple or too difficult?

All due respect, it’s both.
The authors is gonna hurt herself trying to make parents, teachers and students who have proven this look dumb.

Teaching kids the finer points of the English language in K-3 instead of getting them reading proficiently first is age and developmentally inappropriate.

The later grades shift to more “informational texts”. This shift is not supported by current research or opinion and does little to nothing to promote ‘critical thinking’ as the standards claim.

As an English teacher, Ms. Whitley should know all of that. Then again, why should Whitley be concerned with the facts about what happens to Elementary kids under Common Core when she teaches High school? Hers are doing so well:

Making grammar practice for the kids, I used the word “wretched”. “Don’t you mean #ratchet?” they asked. “Pretty sure u misspelled ratchet.”

— Alicia Whitley (@AliciaWhitley) September 12, 2014

KEEP READING.. There is more. A lot more. Continue reading →

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

Durham Schools Drops Teach For America

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

Here is an interesting tidbit. Durham schools has dropped their contract with Teach for America (TFA), citing the district no longer needs the group and that their turnover rate isn’t in line with the district’s retention goals.

The district has worked with TFA for the past decade and currently has 12 teachers from the program in local schools: Six at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability, four at Neal Magnet Middle School and two at Eastway Elementary School.

The Board of Education last month decided not to renew TFA’s contract, saying the district no longer needs the group’s help and that local schools need teachers willing to commit more than the two years TFA requires.

“We want to build a strong teacher workforce that’s made up of career educators,” school board Chairwoman Heidi Carter said Friday. “Our job is to look long term and make decisions that will benefit the most students over time.”

Carter said the inconsistency and turnover after TFA teachers leave can create problems, especially in high-risk schools where many of the teachers are placed.

“No organization in the business world builds its workforce from temp employees, and basically, that’s what this would be doing.” she said. – WRAL

This criticism about turnover is not new. Flashback to 2011 when Diane Ravitch spoke at Duke:

READ MORE – SEE THE DETAILS ON MONETARY JUGGERNAUT TFA Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core, EDUCATION, June Atkinson, NC DPI, NCGA, Pat McCrory | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Durham Schools Drops Teach For America

MO Ed Commissioner, Governor Sued By Citizens Over Common Core SBAC Test Funds

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

This article is crossposted at StopCommonCoreNC.org

Fred N. Sauer of Missouri is suing Governor Jay Nixon and other state officials over the $4.3 million paid to Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) in relation to the Common Core State Standards tests.

The editors of Missouri Education Watchdog have joined the suit as plaintiffs. The main points of the suit are the challenging of the use of taxpayer money for the SBAC, that the SBAC is an unconstitutional interstate compact and that Governor Nixon and Commissioner Nicastro’s conduct violated federal and state statutes. Nicastro announced her retirement just this past week.

Via Missouri Education Watchdog:

KEEP READING… Continue reading →

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NC Governor’s Common Core Commission Pick: Ralph Andre Peek

Posted on September 17, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Yesterday, Governor McCrory finally made his Common Core commission pick, Ralph Andre Peek. The pick came 16 days beyond the date for the first meeting as laid out by the bill McCrory signed into law.
Strike one.

The first meeting is slated to take place this coming Monday, at the Department of Public Instruction.

The inaugural meeting will be held on Monday, September 22from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the State Construction Office conference room, fourth floor of the Education Building, 301 N. Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC.

The bill McCrory signed into law for this commission prohibits this. “Section 2.(a) – The commission shall be located administratively in the Department of Administration…”.
Strike two.

McCrory’s pick appears to be pretty much Pro-Common Core.
Ralph Andre Peek is businessman from the upper echelon of IBM who is tied to Pro-Core Teach for America, The NC Chamber’s Pro-Core ‘Hire Standards’, and the Pro-Core North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE).

Mr. Peek is listed an ‘unaffiliated” in political party registration. What is it with this Governor’s habit of not appointing folks from his own party? I can see 2016 now: Pat McCrory (U-NC).

KEEP READING… THERE IS A LOT MORE.. Unfortunately. Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Academic Standards Review Commission, Common Core, June Atkinson, Pat McCrory | Tagged | 4 Comments

NC State Superintendent Spins Changing Testing Scoring System (Video)

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

Spin, June. Spin.

Atkinson says it was to make information more “granular”. Come again?
Tammy Howard reiterates and says the system gives more information to teachers. Really?

Both Atkinson and Howard manage to not to mention Common Core a single time. Common Core is supposed to be high reaching, but yet we have DPI moving the goal posts.

Folks, Common Core is the reason they changed the scoring after last year’s disastrous EOC’s. By changing the scoring system, no one can compare them to last year and that is the whole point — not more “granular” information.

Watch:

VIDEO

Hit the post, read more and see the video. Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), Common Core, EDUCATION, June Atkinson, NC DPI, Testing | Tagged | 2 Comments

Journal, Validation Committee: Common Core Has No Evidence

Posted on September 4, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Over at the National Review Online, there’s an article up titled, Common Core Validation Committee Member: ‘Nobody Thought There Was Sufficient Evidence’ for the Standards.

The article revisits the claims made by Common Core supporters that the standards raise achievement are based on evidence and then destroys the claim in about 6 paragraphs. One of the most damning few paragraphs were these two: Continue reading →

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