The Regents pledged to tweak the botched Common Core rollout, which caused Governor Cuomo to accuse them of backing away from tough teacher evaluation (they didn’t).
Now parents and educators condemn the Regents for failing to address their concerns:
From: “NYS Allies for Public Education”
Date: February 10, 2014 at 4:40:37 PM EST
To: “‘NYS Allies for Public Education'”
Subject: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- Parents and Educators Outraged by Regents Unwillingness to Assume Responsibility and Change Course
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 10, 2014
More information contact:
Eric Mihelbergel (716) 553-1123; nys.allies@gmail.com
Lisa Rudley (917) 414-9190; nys.allies@gmail.com
NYS Allies for Public Education http://www.nysape.org
Parents and Educators Outraged by Regents Unwillingness to Assume Responsibility and Change Course
The leaders of the NYS Allies for Public Education (NYSAPE), a coalition of more than 45 parent and educator groups from throughout the state, expressed extreme disappointment that the NYS Regent Common Core Taskforce refused to address the real issues undermining education in this state and made only minor tweaks to current policies. The report is quite clear that the Regents continue to ignore the deep flaws in the Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS), excessive high stakes state testing and student data sharing. The recommendations can be viewed here: http://www.regents.nysed.gov/meetings/2014/February2014/214p12hea3.pdf
Tim Farley, a parent of four public school children and the Principal of Ichabod Crane Elementary/Middle School said, “Today’s recommendations from Commissioner King and the Regents task force reveal just how out of touch they are and how obsessive their appetite is for excessive state tests. The fact that they refuse to subject their own children to these excessive testing and data policies is very telling. The parents and educators of New York have been paying attention, and they are justifiably outraged.”
“The need to replace the four incumbent Regents members is more important than ever,” said Eric Mihelbergel, Ken-Ton public school parent and founding member of NYSAPE. The Regents Taskforce failed to address the real concerns of parents and again has displayed disconnect from their constituents. Their recommendations today tell me the State is full steam ahead with this failed reform agenda.”
Carol Burris, South Side High Principal and 2013 Principal of the Year stated, “For a deliberative body that is so insistent that students, schools and educators be held accountable, their unwillingness to assume responsibility for their blunders and respond by correcting course is breathtaking. For example, they shift the review of the New York State Common Core standards to the National Governors Association, rather than assume that responsibility themselves. At nearly every turn they “advocate”, or “encourage” others to take action, rather than earnestly respond to what they heard. Developing a “teacher portal” and more low quality materials, is hardly the response our parents expected. The tinkering with dates and semantics about college ready scores at the high school level provides no relief for our K-8 students from testing or from the implementation of flawed curriculum. ”
“Instead of simply calling for a delay in the uploading of private student data onto an insecure data cloud, and pass the responsibility to deal with this issue to the Legislature, the Regents should have insisted that the inBloom contract be cancelled, as every other state has done. Why should New York continue to be the worst place in the country when it comes to student privacy?” asked Leonie Haimson, Executive Director of Class Size Matters.
“The notion that more time to phase in standards or train teachers will somehow cure the ills of a deficient curriculum and inappropriate tests is misguided. Just as troubling is the suggestion that teachers should continue to be evaluated on the basis of a system no one believes in, and that if they are threatened with losing their jobs, they should “raise an alleged failure” of their districts to properly implement the Common Core – when the fault lies with the state. There is no need for more money to ‘engage’ parents with implementation of CCLS. Parents have made their voices perfectly clear in demanding that these destructive policies be brought to an immediate halt,” said Jessica McNair, New Hartford public school parent.
“The Regents appear not to understand that the actual time spent on testing per day, multiplied out over six days of the state assessments, is inappropriate for all students despite the misleading statistics quoted in recommendations,” stated Chris Cerrone, Western New York public school parent of two elementary-aged children.
“Our state education system remains in turmoil, yet the recommendations of this task force do nothing to address the profound problems associated with the standards and excessive high stakes testing. They simply echo the false sentiments of Chancellor Tisch and Commissioner King, by providing nothing more than superficial suggestions in an attempt to pacify the public. Parents will not be so easily assuaged,” said Jeanette Deutermann, Bellmore public school parent and founder of Long Island Opt-Out.
###
Apparently someone in their office has read Sun Tzu.
”
“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.”
and
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
WE MUST USE ANOTHER QUOTE:
“Can you imagine what I would do if I could do all I can?”
Trying to figure out the meaning of the last quote in conjunction with the Sun Tzu qoutes. Please enlighten.
THE NYS DOE IS using deceptive tactics to defeat its opponents.
Thanks, brains working on slow after five consecutive snow days.
“We’re accountable! Except when we’re not.” (along with the string of “We’re evidence-based! Except when we’re not.” “We’re data-driven! Except when we’re not.”)
I want you to analyze the following and provide your comments:
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Poverty, Politics, Racism and School Reform
Posted: 02/05/2014 5:23 pm EST Updated: 02/05/2014 5:59 pm EST
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Newark Public Schools Newark School Reform Public Schools Newark Schools Charter Schools Education News
Newark’s inconvenient truth: Our poorest neighborhoods, disproportionately African American, contain some of the lowest-performing public schools in the country and have for a long time. A child in the South or West ward is virtually guaranteed to be in an elementary school where only 30 percent of students can read — or in a high school built for 1500 students with only 500 enrolled and a graduation rate below 30 percent.
It is often said that a society should be judged by how it treats its citizens in greatest need. By this standard, Newark is failing miserably. The achievement gap that separates economically disadvantaged students and students of color from their more advantaged peers is real and the facts in Newark are especially stark.
Some blame the effects of America’s racist past. The terrible legacy of slavery and Jim Crow coupled with unfair housing and law enforcement policies set up communities of color to fail. This feels all the more raw in Newark given the city’s overall history and specific frustration with twenty plus years of state control of schools. Some argue it is the crippling effects of poverty. How can a child who is hungry learn math? How can a high schooler whose best friend was shot focus on Algebra? This is ever-present in Newark given the deep, historic challenges of gangs and violence that plague parts of our Newark community. Others insist it is a misguided labor movement pretending to stand for kids while launching relentless, highly-funded, facts-be-damned attacks to protect antiquated work rules and jobs at all costs. Thousands of dollars from within and outside of Newark being spent to fuel dissent during a time of major political transition makes this palpable.
I think all of these points have merit. But a third grader only has one third grade. They don’t have time for us to attack and argue.
I am an eternal optimist who believes in the power of good ideas and people’s ability to work together across all lines, in pursuit of a common good. And the fact remains: One Newark can work. It has to work because the status quo has failed too many, for far too long.
The good news: If we could place the top-performing teachers in Newark in every single classroom, we could close the achievement gap in five years. There are public charter schools down the street from Newark Public Schools that have literally doubled the reading proficiency of our schools. Our graduation rates have climbed 10 points and the number of schools “on the move” is growing. Local and national partners regard Newark as a city fervently committed to the social and emotional growth of our students, forging new conversations in school reform. Good schools are in high demand — over 5,800 families (and counting) completed an on-line application through One Newark Enrolls in just a few weeks (a new national standard). If we bring those good schools to the neighborhoods with the greatest need, we could revive schools and communities and stop the shuttering of schools.
We know — I know — that despite our best and most sincere efforts, we have not yet succeeded in embedding a systemic demand for change and creating conditions where the majority of families who want options for their children are heard. As we sought to reinvent the system for kids we knew good and well that forces would work against our relentless drive to root out dysfunction and knock down pillars of mediocrity. Our message of excellence hasn’t been as compelling as messages anchored in fear and intimidation to preserve an indefensible status quo. Our persistent, relentless, and diligent efforts at engagement continue to be intentionally sabotaged by political agendas, lies, and those who shout over, talk down to families, and otherwise disrespect those who dare to believe we can and must be the village that ensures all our children succeed.
But we will keep at it. Let’s be clear: we envision a future Newark whose children — each and every one of them — can acquire the reading, writing, and math skills necessary to graduate and excel. Five years from now, history will show we either succumbed to local and national forces to cement inexcusable racial and socio-economic inequities — or that we banded together to forge a new future.
WE are fighting the Civil War all over again, Newark Public Schools is a racist environment and another Ms. Rhee is in charge there. Education is not taking place. Please,she is not a fighter for Civil Rights and real civil rights leaders are turning over in their grave reading this nonsense. Terrible that this nonsense has found an outlet to be repeated over and over again. As a matter of fact she must be a supporter of Clarence Thomas, John Roberts who have destroyed civil rights for all and told us corporations are people. She could be the Sarah Palin of New Jersey what a joke. Five years from now there wont be any students receiving an education from her One Newark plan because they would of dropped out.
This is classic appeasement. See Hitler and the rest of Europe pre WWII for further details. Seems like a “win” for us, but ultimately keeps power and control with State Ed. Like patting a child on the head and saying “good boy”- patronizing and wrong. This parent and educator ain’t buying anything they’re selling. They’re doing the Albany tango, but I don’t dance.
Sounds to me like the REAL PUBLIC EDUCATION COMMUNITY is using this as an opportunity to voice and shout and I am sure the NY Regents were expecting their decision to quiet things down. This is strategically a good thing whether or not the “ed reform” intention is to hold onto power. It appears to me that the offense and defense positions are changing… I am hopeful. Sadly there are many state board of eds who are completely deaf to what is going on or stupid enough to think they can ignore it… and are currently are putting out PR campaigns to convince parents of the wonders of common core. Let us hope that the noise from this blog is indicative of change and reveals what is being heard loud and clear far and wide across this nation.
These recommendations change nothing about APPR. Cuomo’s creating an artificial threat to his signature law so his “commission” gets the message loud and clear: don’t mess with APPR. His press release seeks to curry favor with parents by bashing Common Core while suggesting that teachers are standing in the way of change. Cuomo refuses to acknowledge that APPR and Common Core comprise the same suffocating web. He’s using the same old tactic of pitting the public against teachers while ensuring that his commission recommends even less than the Regents did today.
They did nothing except ask the legislature for 525 MILLION more to give to their corporate sponsors!!!! They are just trying to placate everyone without making any changes! This is TOTAL BS!
CUOMOCORE – Andy owns it!
I’m trying to figure out what the new” policies are. Did they indicate the high school kids have to take two math assessments – one for Regents and one for Common Core – in Algebra and Geometry? Or do they take the CC assessment, then if they fail, they take the Regents exam?
They can take both Regents and CCSS math tests and then the use the best score. Any guesses as to which scores will be highest?
Dates are too close and CCSS is first so scores probably wont be available in time. Most students will take both.
Now regarding 8th grade accelerated math students taking Integrated Algebra. Many of them will be taking THREE MATH TESTS: Grade 8 CCSS, Regents algebra, and CCSS algebra. Thats a combined maximum of 10.5 hours of math testing for our best and brightest 14 year olds. Now the BOR has excused them from taking the grade 8 CCSS math assessment, however many districts do not want their best 8th grade math students getting skimmed out of their grade 8 data and so are requiring them to take the April test as well.
And this reduces the testing?
Whoever heard of taking TWO final exams?
THREE math tests for top students!!!!!!!!
For English Regents in June and August of this year only, students may choose which test to take. Algebra students still must do both. Beginning in 2015, the class of 2016 still may choose which English test to take, depending on if their class is aligned to 05 standards or CCSS. The 2005 standards are more literature based and include the reading of entire novels and plays. The CCSS call for lots of informational text and Shakespeare taught through excerpts (hamlet in 3 soliloquies anyone?) Don’t get me started on math, where pre-calculus, the best indicator of college success, is outside the common core. You decide which is the better college prep course. They are not better standards than the 05 standards at the top and developmentally inappropriate at the elementary level.
Whose neck do we wring first? This is beyond awful.
You know that the students who care about grades will take every exam and agonize over each one.
And the powers that be don’t even see the harm they are doing to our precious children.
Absolutely. This makes listening to Cuomo’s rant (“Common Core is the right goal and direction as it is vital that we have a real set of standards for our students and a meaningful teacher evaluation system.”) all the more maddening. A “real” set of standards as if every teacher in NY has been teaching “fake” standards for the past 20, 30, 40 years?
Oh, NY Teacher – I talked my daughter into opting out my grand daughter from her sixth grade assessments.
I just hope we can get all this nonsense straightened put before she gets to high school. She’s a smart girl, but I’m afraid doing badly in school while affect her psyche.
Don’t think twice, best advice you could give. Two years max. and the nightmare should be over. Wait until the PARCC.SBAC testing fiasco hits the other 44 states.
I await the outcry with a morbid fascination.
No good deed goes unpunished or The better you do in school, the more we need to assess you to make sure you truly are as smart as the tests say you are. Or maybe, To the victor go the spoils, if the victor is a good test taker and the spoils are the yearly assessments.
While I’d far prefer that CCSS be explicitly repudiated on its lack of merit, I take this to be good news, a sign that the predators who peddle so-called education reform are starting to fight among themselves and their own agendas, rather than smoothly roll out their vicious programs.
This hasty decision made in a political panic is not the end of the matter, and the confusion that is already ensuing suggests that CCSS is in danger of dying a death by a thousand cuts, as long as parents, students and teachers maintain their resistance.
It’s also gratifying to see Tisch and King attacked by Cuomo for their incompetence, and for getting in the way of his presidential delusions. He’s got absolutely no chance of ever being President, yet his vainglory now threatens the so-called reformers plans.
Good: let their greed and will to power be their downfall.
“presidential delusions” 100%
Now, it’s time for those concerned with teaching and learning in NYS to turn their attentions to the ill-conceived and poorly implemented edTPA requirement for would-be teachers. Aside from the take-over of undergrad and graduate teacher education curricula caused by edTPA, it is estimated that almost half of those seeking teacher certification this May will fail. At a time when experienced teachers are fleeing the classroom, and teaching has become a singularly unattractive endeavor, isn’t it time for the Regents and the Commissioner to reverse course to avert disaster?
This is fabulous. There is just a tiny anti-reform movement in AZ, and our legislators are ALEC driven. We are relying on people in more sophisticated states to lead the way and get the ball rolling.