As most of you know, House Concurrent Resolution, HCR 0011, approved Common Core as the standards for Michigan math & English, last fall. HCR 0011 alllowed the implementation to move forward but the resolution also provided flexibility to local districts to deviate from the standards.
However, the hammer behind the standards is the assessment, which for Michigan, is Smarter Balance (SBAC). Many schools fear making changes to their standards because of this assessment and the high stakes involved. Teachers are handcuffed to the tests and lack the flexibility they need to do an effective job in their classroom. Parents and children are frustrated and stressed. Something MUST be done.
Great news! The Michigan legislature is seeking to insert wording into the Budget Bill to create criteria about the assessment that would take Smarter Balance out of the running! Michigan must retain control of our assessments.
Please contact your Michigan Senator and Representative and tell them you do not want Smarter Balance for Michigan’s K-12 state assessment. Even legislators who voted for Common Core will consider this change.
And if you know parents who have not yet opted their kids out of the SBAC Pilot underway in Michigan, here is an article about opting out. Parents all over the country are opting their children out and it is making a HUGE impact.
We will not stop until excellence in education is restored in Michigan!
(Thank you to Melanie Kurdys for her assistance with this post.)