After holding joint committee hearings earlier this year to review the assessments to be used with Common Core, it appears the House may not have the votes to continue funding the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC). Here’s key excerpts from MIRS News, “The language, which the committee inserted in an education omnibus budget bill today, would […]
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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Fordham outrage with opting-out
It appears the Fordham Foundation is getting a bit frustrated with the rising opposition to the Common Core. In a recent article Chester Finn, Jr. went so far as to ask if “opting out” of testing is “acceptable” and speculated that it is “probably illegal.” “The opt-out-of-state-testing movement has notched more wins lately. “Thousands,” we […]
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Are teachers being silenced?
Susan Kimball, a kindergarten teacher, testified in a Missouri hearing against Common Core. With a shaky voice and tears in her eyes Kimball described how she was being bullied by her administrators not to say anything negative. Via Missouri Education Watchdog: “I have been strongly discouraged from saying anything negative about Common Core by my […]
Nothing about Common Core infuriates parents more than how politicians and pundits dehumanize our children with their rhetoric. Human capital, worker pipeline, and talent pool are frequently used phrases to justify reforms and increased spending so that the state or business receives a maximum “return on their investment.” It’s all about economic success and […]
On Monday, Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed a bill to repeal Common Core. From the Indianapolis Star “Less than four years after Indiana became an early adopter of the national Common Core education standards, Gov. Mike Pence signed legislation Monday making Indiana the first state to opt out of the controversial school guidelines. But the […]
Action Plan for Parents and Concerned Citizens: 1. For parents, opt-out of ALL Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBAC). The field assessments begin next week, March 24. These are pilot assessments for the benefit of corporate profiteers and DC. There should be no consequences to your child for opting out. Here’s a form you can print out […]
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Controlling the Common Core
They told us if we adopted the Common Core we were not going to lose control of the classroom or curriculum. They lied. Copyrights, Assessments, and Czars all mean more centralized control. Once local control is lost it will never be regained. Teachers and parents must take a stand now and opt out or education […]
James Pellegrino, a member of the technical advisory board for Smarter Balanced (SBAC) and the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) finally admitted what we have said all along, SBAC and PARCC (or any national assessment) will guide curriculum and classroom instruction. Teachers not tests should guide student learning. This […]
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What about Common Core and College?
Minding the Campus has an excellent analysis of the academic impact of Common Core on higher education written by Peter Wood. Wood is president of the National Association of Scholars. Here’s an excerpt, What the Common Core will do to college. “The Common Core’s standards amount to an assault on the college curriculum. That’s because […]
Momentum is building against the Common Core and that has some people very nervous and worried, especially in an election year. Via Politico, Tea party activists have been waging war for months against the Common Core academic standards. Now, in a coordinated show of muscle, Big Business is fighting back — and notching wins. […]