Tag Archives: Public Schools First NC

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 Common Core, Public Schools First NC | 1 Comment

‘Average Teacher’ In Hagan Ad Tied To BluePrintNC

Posted on September 13, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

In the NC Senate race, Kay Hagan has decided to use a ‘war on schools’ theme for her attacks on Thom Tillis. The NEA advocacy fund has an ad out which leads with a Chapel Hill teacher named Vivian Connell.

The ad portrays her as just some average teacher from North Carolina. She’s not.

KEEP READING… Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), BlueprintNC, Common Core, EDUCATION, ELECTIONS | Tagged Blueprint NC, Kay Hagan, NEA, Public Schools First NC | 5 Comments

Ruling Against Opportunity Scholarships For Low Income Kids To Be Appealed

Posted on August 22, 2014 by A.P. Dillon

Yesterday, Judge Hobgood ruled against Opportunity Scholarships for low-income and at risk kids. Today, we find that NC Attorney General Roy Cooper will appeal the decision.

N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper, a Democrat who has raised concerns about parts of the Republican legislative agenda, quickly announced plans for his office to appeal, according to Noelle Talley, his spokeswoman.

“Our attorneys believe that this is a constitutional issue that must be decided by the appellate courts,” Talley said in a statement shortly after the ruling. – News and Observer

Wait…For once in recent memory, Cooper is actually doing his job? So, what gives? Either he clearly sees this Judge is correct in his ruling or Cooper thinks this is a way to extend the BlueprintNC style slamming of Republicans on Education. Probably the latter if you that a closer look at the pushback. I’ve said this multiple times before, this is about protectionism of a system and not concern for these kids.

KEEP READING Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), BlueprintNC, EDUCATION, LEGAL, Moral Monday, NCAE, Occupy 2.0, Opportunity Scholarships (OSP) | Tagged Opportunity Scholarships, Public Schools First NC, Roy Cooper | 4 Comments

Sen. Stein Politicizing, Giving Misinformation On Common Core

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

At a panel discussion hosted by Public Schools First NC on May 3rd, several legislators were on hand to discuss teacher pay and Common Core. Democrat State Senator Josh Stein upheld the tradition of ‘politicizing’ and ‘misinformation’ that the opposition of Common Core has come to know all too well. Memo to those doing the actual politicizing here: NC Replacing Common Core Means Leading, Not Following.

We’ll get to Public Schools First NC at the end of the article. First let’s look at what was said. WRAL, to their credit this time, explained a bit more about the commission to be formed, that the brand name Common Core is currently in our state statutes and in a way, corrects Senator Stein. The relevant portion is below; emphasis added is mine.

As for Common Core, Stein said he expects the legislature to abandon it.

“There is a great deal of misinformation. First, it’s not a curriculum. It’s a set of standards about what we expect students to know each year,” Stein said. “Second, it’s not a federal initiative. Third, it’s extremely popular with teachers. When you roll out a new program you expect kinks. You work through them.”

A student committee on April 24 approved a proposal to move North Carolina away from Common Core.

Although the bill does delete legislative language referencing Common Core standards, it does not take them out of play right away. Rather, the measure would create an Academic Standards Review Commission to develop standards “tailored to the needs of North Carolina’s students.”

The commission would be part of the state Department of Administration, not the Department of Public Instruction. It would be instructed to finish a first run at revising the standards by 2015, in time for the 2016 legislative session.

The revised standards would go to State Board of Education for approval, but if lawmakers don’t agree with the board’s position, they could override it and enact new standards themselves.

Now, let’s break Stein’s comment down. Continue reading →