The evidence is mounting that Common Core is wrong for children, wrong for teachers, and MUST be repealed and replaced in Michigan.
The Washington Post reported on a brief from The California Alliance of Researchers for Equity in Education, a statewide collaborative of university-based education researchers. From the article,
The researchers, from public and private universities in California — including Stanford University, UCLA, and the University of California Berkeley — say that the Common Core standards themselves do not accomplish what supporters said they would and that linking them to high-stakes tests actually harms students. The brief says:
“Although proponents argue that the CCSS promotes critical thinking skills and student-centered learning (instead of rote learning), research demonstrates that imposed standards, when linked with high-stakes testing, not only deprofessionalizes teaching and narrows the curriculum, but in so doing, also reduces the quality of education and student learning, engagement, and success. The impact is also on student psychological well-being: Without an understanding that the scores have not been proven to be valid or fair for determining proficiency or college readiness, students and their parents are likely to internalize failing labels with corresponding beliefs about academic potential.”
Michigan officials cannot continue to pretend that Common Core and high-stakes testing are the right course for Michigan’s children. Many lawmakers, especially those running for office, are now saying they are against common core. That is good but NOT enough. The pressure to conform is NOT just on our kids but on politicians to cave to donors and lobbyists who push this “reform.” Will lawmakers have the courage to act?
Michigan has a repeal and replace bill pending in the legislature. Michigan SB826 and HB5444 would withdraw the state from Common Core standards, an important step toward nullifying nationalized education in the state. SB826 must pass the Senate Education Committee while HB5444 must pass the House Education Committee.
Senator Phil Pavlov is Senate Education Committee chair and also running for Congress in the 10th Congressional District. I contacted his Senate office to inquire about his current position on Common Core. The staffer declined to state a position until he talked to Senator Pavlov. He also did not offer a position on SB 826. Will Senator Pavlov will have the courage to stand with Michigan parents and against the special interests?
Please join me in contacting Senator Pavlov’s office to find out where he stands on Common Core and respectfully urge him to move this important bill forward to a vote in his committee. A phone call has 10x the impact of an email. His Lansing office phone number is: 517-373-7708.
The evidence is clear and convincing that Common Core will “reduce the quality of education.” Our children do not get a second chance at an excellent education. Every day our lawmakers delay means they are failing to do the right thing for Michigan’s children.