Tag Archives: Public Schools First NC

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 →