UPDATE: Lori Higgins at The Detroit Free Press has rewritten the original article to say that the website can stay up. Kurt Weiss, spokesman for the technology, management and budget department said.
Not only will the site remain up, Weiss said, but there is also no need to remove any Common Core materials. However, the department cannot post any new Common Core materials.
“Our review has shown that there won’t be any additional cost to the state to leave it up,” Weiss said.
The fact that Flanagan couldn’t get an administrative issue correct is all the more reason Michigan parents and lawmakers should take our time and make sure the MDE and the State School Board made a good decision on Common Core. Articles can be edited to cover Flanagan’s mistakes but a blunder on Common Core is not able to be corrected so easily. State Senators should vote NO on the resolution to continue with Common Core. Michigan parents deserve to know all the facts before we go forward with the implementation.
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From the Detroit Free Press,
The Michigan Department of Education’s
website is expected to go dark today because the Legislature has failed to act on allowing the department to spend money to implement the Common Core State Standards, which are integrated throughout the site.
In a memo that went out to school
….“If we cannot expend funds
I hope one day to see the words Common Core scrubbed not just from the MDE website but from Michigan’s entire public education system Michigan adopted the Common Core State Standards on June 15, 2010, a meager thirteen days after the final version of thee standards were released. The State School Board hastily adopted the standards before most parents or lawmakers even knew they existed or how detrimental they are to our children. But now they are aware and want lawmakers reconsider their implementation.
Melanie Kurdy’s adds, “It is disappointing to see the MDE did not prepare for this possible outcome. Perhaps they just did not believe anyone in the legislature would take our concerns seriously. ”
The MDE and Mr. Flanagan have been inconvenienced by the current discussion but a minor inconvenience is worth the effort if Michigan arrives at a better decision and better education policies for Michigan.
The State Senate has scheduled a public hearing to discuss the concurrent resolution for tomorrow, October 2. Details here. We invite all parents to join the discussion and let our lawmakers know they want to Stop Common Core.
The meeting is scheduled for 2 PM at the Senate Hearing Room, Ground Floor of the Boji Tower.
124 W. Allegan Street, Lansing, MI 48933
Please attend the meeting if you can.
Please call your Senator TODAY!.
Find their names and phone number or emails here.
http://www.senate.michigan.
Ask that he or she sponsor and vote for an amendment to pull us out of the federally funded SMARTER BALANCED ASSESSMENT CONSORTIA which is designing the new tests. SBAC has a federal review team for the questions. It replaces the MEAP and interim testing in the classroom. If there is no amendment then tell your senator to vote NO! Find their names and phone number or emails here.
http://www.senate.michigan.