A reader writes in response to debate about Common Core in Indiana:
Common Core and the PARCC Assessment can only be described with one word in Illinois: daunting.
Illinois school districts are losing resources yearly, state aid being among them. Last year the state prorated its aid to schools at 94%. This year it is expected to be at 89%, and next year it could be as low as 80%. All this as expectations go up.
The little glimpses we’ve received in our numerous staff meetings of the possible PARCC assessment have left us feeling overwhelmed to say the least. Next week the Illinois State Board of Education will vote on whether to increase cut scores on the ISAT test to better align with the rigorous Common Core Standards. This will result in a significant decrease in the number of students meeting or exceeding state standards.
I teach in an Illinois Spotlight School (defined as high poverty schools where high academic performance is closing the “achievement gap”). We have faced many challenges with the lack of funding coming into our school. We used to be on the cutting edge of new technology but now we are faced with an outdated computer lab where large groups of students will gather to take the future PARCC assessments. This will present a huge challenge not only with our infrastructure but with many of our students as well. Many students will not have the skills to take on-line assessments as they have been working in small RtI groups during computer classes (a sad reality). Many students still don’t have computers at home.
I believe strongly that students need good, solid foundation skills and a wide range of experiences before they can think critically. The lack of funding has caused our school to limit field trips to one per year. I predict that number to go down to zero in the near future.
I hope Illinois follows Indiana’s lead in having a serious discussion about the Common Core and especially the timing. Our teachers have been scrambling to find resources that align to the Common Core. And now our students will be tested before full implementation?
I have no objection to high expectations for students and accountability for students and teachers. But we must be given time, resources, and a seat at the policy table. I
feel like I’m on a sinking ship. A moratorium on any new assessments until we have implemented, developed resources, and made reasonable changes to the CC sounds like a good life raft to me right now.
Hear, hear!
Beutifully stated. The only problem is that it makes perfect sense, which immediately will disqualify it from State Ed Depts. around the country, and those on the Pearson/Corporate payroll.
Don’t you wonder about this company Pearson?
No, there is PLENTY of negative information–they are a U.K.-based corporation that manufactures poor tests (look up the “Pineapple/Hare Question”) has bought out other publishing company, is making TRILLIONS on their test prep. materials, Scantron sheets & testing booklets, has incompetent people (& now computers!) scoring written response tests (read more about that in Todd Farley’s 2009 paperback, Making the Grades: My Misadventures in the Standardized Testing Industry,” read Diane’s posts {Dec. 27th–Todd Farley Interview, & November [I think 15th, 16th]–he also has posts on the Huffington Ed. Post, most notably
one Feb. 2012, I believe, about computers & test scoring. Search through Diane’s blog & you’ll find some posts about Pearson (&–in other places if not here–try Mike Klonsky’s Small Talk Blog; NYC Educator). It’s also being revealed that Pearson wined & dined a number of state/district/local superintendents. In fact, the City of Chicago Inspector General is looking into some of their dealings w/the Chicago Public School System.
No–no need to wonder–Pearson’s tests are sucking all the money from public schools all over the country–education is truly Pearson’s Ca$h Cow.
Oh, and now they are going after colleges & universities with their “evaluations” of education majors & student teachers. More money for them!
“I feel like I’ m on a sinking ship.”
Yes, a ship that was purposefully torpedoed by so-called reformers and their Overclass funders.
In a newsletter from LFT (La Fed Teachers), one section was entitled, “Evaluation Changes Like Rearranging Deck Chairs on the Titanic.” And the Broadie band plays on….
I too am an educator in Illinois. With the many “reforms” that are being passed down, educators are already feeling as if they have gone 15 rounds with Mike Tyson. The Common Core transition and the cut score adjustment that is being debated now have educators in Illinois feeling as if they have been kicked by Mike Tyson after he has already knocked them out.
Probably more like they’re feeling like they have one ear less.
Not counting the Beatles, ’cause that was a good thing, there hasn’t been a British invasion like this on our shores since 1812.
Do I smell smoke? Is Washington burning?
In NY, we like to call the sinking ship the plane being built in mid-air.
Your comments make perfect sense- but in chaos there’s profit. The ed reformers gain more when the opposition is off balance, sinking, falling from the sky.
I couldn’t agree more. Educators need more training and better training before we implement CC in our classrooms. There’s too much misinformation out there that is making instruction less effective not more. And because of the fear factor associated with testing, administrators are putting what little resources the have towards testing instead of instruction. Education once again falls prey to the old cliche: “The cart before the horse”
This has really gone beyond ridiculous. Educators have been trying to jump through politicians’ hoops for years. Now that it has become so clear that many of our elected officials are shills for corporate interests (why else would so many end up as lobbyists and/or lawyers for these interests?), maybe we all to need “stand up and be counted.” Chicago teachers said no; Garfield High School said no. There is a growing honor roll of administrators. We are being sucked dry. If they haven’t come for you yet, they will.
Why is the state of Illinois so short of money?
Because every single politician in that state is a crook.
See it’s easy to write a hyperbolic statement. Whether it’s true or not I’ll leave up to you.
Thank you, Duane (who is not, BTW, an Illinois resident, illustrating the fact, Harlan, that EVERYONE knows what’s up w/Illinois!) On January 3rd, one thousand people (teachers, retired teachers and numerous other groups and public employees’ unions) went to Springfield to protest pension “reform.” Several met with a “veteran state Senator,” who told them, “Let’s be honest about the unfunded liability. It’s not missing for any reasons except we stole it from you all. That’s the truth.”
As Nancy Grace would say, “Unleash the lawyers!”
Illinois politicians chose to keep taxes artificially low by using the money that should have been going into the pension fund to fund other programs. They are also are infamous for the tax breaks to large corporations. In addition, Illinois tax system is a flat tax system, meaning that a multimillionaire pays the same percentage as the hired help). Since politicians are hoping to make a lifetime career out of “public service,” they don’t want to amend the tax code.
Common Core is a new cover for the math that we taught and used to put a man on the moon, a robot on mars etc etc etc..
I have been through every single standard with a fine tooth comb.
It is like throwing every single item needed to build a 40 story building in one big PILE..
OK….Go get it kids..
Your teacher will facilitate..you discover…you figure it out..you will have to spend thousands of dollars to figure out the steps it takes to build the building…just google it…then you will have to spend thousands of hours organizing the info…
I get some from every single book offered to mankind..Now our state wants us to share.
KEEP WISHING STATE DEPARTMENT!!!!
I would not give you one single activity or study guide that I have made unless you pay me a THOUSAND DOLLARS PER STANDARD…
I know of no teacher that is willing to give to the State any of their work that they have spent thousands of hours preparing..NO WAY!!!
There are 8 different learning styles..yet the State wants all teachers in the USA to teach the very same stuff the very same way!!!
Get outta here..
Re: David Coleman & Common Core…
http://nycpublicschoolparents.blogspot.com/2011/10/kick-off-of-parents-as-partners-week.html
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/10/the-schoolmaster/309091/1/
Seeing lots of varied opinions for the common core standard.
One of our Twitter follower mentioned:
-The #CCSS provides the opportunity for teachers to express creativity in the profession.
-The #CCSS is an opportunity to control how the curriculum is designed and delivered.
-The #CommonCore makes room for what should have already been happening: critical thinking.
-The #CommonCore provides the opportunity to integrate the disciplines..allows for disciplinary literacy.
You might want to look at how useful this site (opened.io) would be for those who need to learn using the common core standards using videos.
It’s free and in private beta for now. Let me know if you need an invite.