Karen Braun is a writer and conference speaker on issues related education and family life. Her work has appeared in the American Thinker, Crosswalk, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, WatchDog Wire, and various other websites and magazines. She has also appeared on TV and radio venues. Along with blogging, Karen also enjoys homeschooling, running marathons, and spending time with her husband, their six children, and two grand children. For more information please contact Karen at spunkyhomeschool at gmail dot com
Is your student-level data safe now that we have adopted the Common Core? That is a hot topic in Michigan right now as we decide our assessments. Currently we are part of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortia (SBAC). School officials and others want us to believe that under SBAC your child’s data is safe. It’s […]
February 5 is a key day in the fight to defeat Common Core in Michigan. There are TWO reasons to come to Lansing. Reason #1: A joint committee will continue to hear testimony regarding the Smarter Balanced Assessments. Please call your state senator and representative and tell them to oppose Smarter Balanced and all Common […]
Imagine with me, if you will, that you just bought a new home. You are so excited. The rooms are spacious, the neighborhood lovely, and the surrounding community is spectacular. The area is loaded with restaurants, museums, orchestras, and cultural opportunities galore. All to entertain and educate you and your children. You wander around your […]
Michigan lawmakers in several committees are considering which assessment to use in Michigan. They are holding hearings to help make their decision. The next hearing is February 5, 2014 at 2:30 PM. The joint committee meeting will be held at the Senate Hearing Room, Ground Floor, Boji Tower, 124 W. Allegan, Lansing, MI. The decision […]
In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, George Will surveys the political landscape in opposition to Common Core and sees some “healthy aspects of today’s politics.” “The rise of opposition to the Common Core illustrates three healthy aspects of today’s politics. First, new communication skills and technologies enable energized minorities to force new topics […]
Yesterday at the presentation to the Joint Committee of the Senate and House Joseph Martineau, deputy superintendent of accountability services for the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) erred when he claimed that there was no federal review team overseeing SMARTER tests. According to a report by Gongwer, Martineau indicated that, …there is not, as Mr. McMillin […]
The fight to defeat the Common Core and assessments continues. A Joint Committee Meeting is scheduled to hear a presentation by the Michigan Department of Education on the Report on Options for Assessments Aligned with the Common Core the State Standards. DATE: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 TIME: 2:30 PM or after committees are given leave […]
Just a few short months ago, after a heated, summer debate on Common Core, Rep. Tim Kelly (R-Saginaw) a staunch supporter of Common Core drafted a concurrent resolution that allowed Common Core implementation to go forward. At that time, Rep. Kelly told reporters at the Detroit News, “I think that we want to get this […]
In response to Secretary of Education Duncan’s thoughts regarding mothers who oppose the Common Core. Dear Secretary of Education Duncan: Mr. Duncan, you and the feds may control the purse strings but WE (moms of every color and location) control our “brilliant” children’s shoe strings. We have the final authority and we’re saying “no” to […]
In his never ending attempt to defend the abysmal Common Core, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told state superintendents that the push back on Common Core is from “white suburban moms.” Education Secretary Arne Duncan told an audience of state superintendents this afternoon that the Education Department and other Common Core supporters didn’t fully anticipate […]