The National PTA announced that Michigan along with Kansas and Indiana were selected to participate in training in Common Core advocacy courtesy of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Wave 4 Common Core Grantees Announced National PTA would like to congratulate the Indiana, Kansas, and Michigan State PTAs who were recently selected to participate in […]
Author: Karen Braun
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
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Educating for Workforce Development
Because ownership and control of the Common Core Standards are in the hands of the National Governors Association (NGA), the chair of the association is notable and her impact on education is significant. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin became the chair of the NGA at their summer meeting on August 5. Fallin announced her yearlong initiative, […]
Melanie Kurdy raises an excellent point about the last hearing… I would like to review a point that was discussed briefly at the July 31 hearing that I believe is very important, “expectations for students”. I believe the debate we are having should be about improving student learning for all children in Michigan. This is why we are discussing […]
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A Sneak Peek at the new SAT and ACT
The NY Times posted a story about the SAT (owned by The College Board) and ACT and how they are changing in the next few years. Big changes are coming to the nation’s two competing admissions tests. Mr. Coleman, who became president last October, is intent on rethinking the SAT to make it an instrument […]
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal gave a speech at a Redstate gathering on Friday where he addressed the Common Core. He said, “We will resist any attempt … to impose a national curriculum,” But as the news story points out that “the Jindal administration has been supportive of the standards, with state Education Superintendent John White […]
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Committee Hearing Tomorrow
Tomorrow Representative Kelly will hold the second of four hearings on Common Core. Remember, Common Core is only paused. The hearings this summer are being held to inform lawmakers. A vote will be taken before October 1 to determine the future of Common Core in Michigan. The first hearing featured two pro-Common Core speakers and […]
Testing is the engine that drives the standard. Despite the claim that Common Core gives teacher more flexibility it does the exact, it forces teachers to “teach to the test” severely limiting their ability to tailor curricula to the needs of their students. David Coleman ssaid it very clearly, “If you put something on an […]
Senator Marco Rubio has spoken out against the Common Core. From the Florida website Shark Tank, ” While many top Republicans, including former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, have come out in support of Common Core, Republican U.S. Senator Marco Rubio has once again bucked the establishment by stating that he is against the Common Core […]
Ben Lazarus, Warren Consolidated Schools Board of Education Trustee, discusses the Common Core Curriculum in the video below. He has also started a petition asking our lawmakers to vote against the implementation of Common core. Sign Ben Lazarus’s petition to Stop Common Core implementation in Michigan. Here’s the full petition: Petition to Stop the Common […]
Melanie Kurdys comments to lawmakers regarding the first hearing….. Thank you all for spending yesterday morning listening to testimony about Common Core. The two advocates who spoke, Mr. Cohen and Superintendent Flanagan, made their best case as to why this is a good idea. I appreciate the questions you asked, but it was frustrating that […]