Legislative leaders in the Assembly and Senate in Néw York called on the Board of Regents to delay implementation of Common Core testing for at least two years.
In addition,
“At the same time, the Senate backs a one-yuear moratorium on the proposal to share student data through the controversial third-party vendor inBloom.
“In addition, students, parents, teachers, privacy experts and school administrators have raised serious concerns about the ability of unauthorized third-parties to access personally identifiable information (PII) of students, teachers and principals that will be collected on the state-wide Education Data Portal (EDP). Therefore, we reiterate our call for the Regents to delay operation of the Education Data Portal for at least one year.”
This proposed delay is a sharp rebuke to Commissioner King and Regents Chancellor Tisch, who have shown no willingness to bend to the criticism of parents and educators.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Data breach? No, that NEVer happens.
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TC: I think you’re right on TARGET…
😎
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Yeah, never happens!
http://www.welivesecurity.com/2014/02/03/california-students-expelled-for-using-a-keylogger-to-hack-teachers-computers/
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Thank god we still live in a democracy. When people are elected and not appointed, they listen (sometimes). The legislature knows that those who oppose CCLS are many middle class suburban who vote. The reformers, as recently shown, hate the ballot box as well as those who speak truth to power–the blogging community. Any reform imposed from above tends to fail. Their major, major mistake is to turn teachers into the enemy. How did they ever think that they could implement their agenda when they hate those whose task it is to implement what you want! And how does one expecrt success when you also make the consumers of education the enemy (parents)! Recently the head of one of the alternate certification programs for the NYCDOE bemoaned how his teachers were being brainwashed by the UFT. Interesting how this person used to say his Ivy League teachers were the best and brightest. They were described as people who had extremely high critical thinking skills. One cannot have it both ways. When one thinks for him/herself, they can often reach really good conclusions. Rational thinking always wins out over faith–and this reform movement is nothing but a faith-based, shallow movement.
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what does leaders called on members of the board of regents mean…..in number of months before common core tests can be given….2? 14? 26? How likely is it that this means something…..I hope it does.
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A united front can work wonders.
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Andrew said no though.
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The intent of their statement is a stance – however it is worded so it could be taken two ways.
An excerpt of their statement reads:
“The use of Common Core aligned tests for high-stakes decisions for teachers, principals and students should be delayed, at a minimum, for two years.”
Does that mean the actual tests should be delayed for two years
Or, does it mean the actual tests would be given but the use of the results for high-stakes decisions for teachers, principals, and students should be delayed?
If the former, what replaces them? Tests in grades 3 – 8 are federal mandates, not state.
If it’s the latter – well did it occur to the legislators that THEY WROTE the that requires the use of the results for high stakes decision?
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One way out would be to send RTTT money ($700 million) back to Washington. Unlikely scenario. And if they did the question becomes does NY have to comply with NCLB?
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John Flanagan and Cathy Nolan were at John King’s opening remarks at NYSED’s network institute, where administrators and teachers are “trained” in promoting CC$$. No let up on the propaganda there, where teachers and students were referred to as “humans” and an excerpt of Saturday Night Lights, replete with offensive language, were purported as authentic texts appropriate for all classrooms. Next up? Teaching works of Shakespeare as excerpts only because that will make students college and career ready. NY needs more than a moratorium.
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Maybe we need to point out to our state “leaders” that districts are spending more money on implementing RTTT than they are receiving from their share of the $700 million.
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I don’t mean to be a piggie about it, but… wasn’t the original delay request THREE years? At any rate, I’ll take what I can get right now. A bird in the hand….
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They State cannot delay tests – the tests are in federal law. The most the State can do is replace the tests used last year with the old ones or different ones.
And – do we really want the legislature telling schools what and how to teach?
Don’t forget – this legislature wrote the law that requires the tests to be used for teacher and principal evaluation.
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They don’t have a lot of time because the testing starts in a couple of months.
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or maybe students should bubble in “b” for “bananas” on each of the questions and answer any short answer questions or essays by a series of “b’s” for bananas so as to do what was “required” by law…”to take the tests… Is it written into law that if you accept federal money you have to force students to try their hardest? Doubt that as this really cannot be done….
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Here’s the test you give then:
What is your name?______________
How old are you?_____________
That’s it! Grade em on the spot and get on with real teaching and learning.
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I’d like to know WHY can’t they delay the tests? Anyway, with the growing opt out movement, maybe if enough parents opt out then maybe that will force the issue.
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There’s going to be a lot of this while people figure out how to change what they’ve already sunk millions into developing so that it’s not a complete and utter disaster when the tests are rolled out nationwide. Because many recognize that that is precisely what it’s going to be.
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Exactly! A classic case of “lost cost bias”, sometimes also referred to as “sunk cost bias”.
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Reblogged this on 21st Century Theater.
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A delay could take the steam out of the movement.
They need to rescind CC altogether and start anew.
They to revisit the entire concept with teachers. Lost
in the mix is testing with computers.
Gov Cuomo wants to spend 2 billion dollars there.
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“They need to rescind CC altogether and start anew.”
No, they don’t need to start anew. They need to get the hell out of the way and let the teachers, with the proper support-notice definitely not proper leading, of the administration at each building to the work.
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Meanwhile my district wii be making MORE cuts this year. It’s a staff ghost town as it is! Cuomo wants to strangle NYS schools fiscally so we’re at the mercy of him and privatizers.
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It takes several miles of track to slow down and stop a speeding train. Hitting the breaks doesn’t stop the train immediately but it does make it possible to stop the train before it completely derails further on down the line. This is good news!
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Be forewarned. The proponents of Common Core will reach into their “purse” for lipstick to put on this pig. They will attempt to pacify critics, but will not easily terminate Common Core. There is too much money at stake, and Heaven forbid the education of our children stand in the way.
Each state has the ability to develop the best standard/ curriculum, and not be dependent by outside groups using slick marketing and Federal dollars to coerce states.
Each state needs to reject Common Core and allow their own Dept. of Education to address the problems, NOT allow the US DOE to dictate.
I urge all to do what some states are doing, contact your own state legislatures and demand public hearings on Common Core.
Remember, this was NOT done…as governors adopted this untested standard which came ‘delivered’ with millions of dollars.
ajbruno14 gmail
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It’s gotten even better with the Legislature calling to end teacher evals that are tied to testing. This may give Cuomo the break he needs to step away from this. With Iannuzzi calling for not endorsing him, Cuomo is running scared. This is why we need leaders like Iannuzzi because this would never have happened with Mulgrew’s and Randi’s puppets.
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However-
First, the Regents endorsed the RTTT application that requires tying teacher/principal evals to achievement (it does not have to be a single high-stakes test);
Second, the union and former commissioner negotiated the subsequent law how the evals and tests would be connected;
Third, the legislators wrote the law that tied the evals specifically to state tests and put a percentage and label on it;
Fourth, then the Governor wanted more teeth in it and the legislators amended the law adding that even if a teacher/principal is effective on the practice of their work (60%), if they’re ineffective on the testing, the overall evaluation is ineffective.
So – a whole lot of people who got us into this mess will have egg on their faces unless they own up to the fact that they wrote bad laws and policy to begin with that have little effect on quality practice and learning.
Sadly, many at SED including the Commissioner inherited the mess and message. They could have rolled it out better, communicated better, and taken a stance on what does not make sense. But – they are not the problem and the kids have become collateral damage.
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unauthorized third parties…..hello, the federal government who is authorized …to collect who can be recruited….and are there in the hall after lunch to tell the kids what a great deal the military is….. Kids are still so vulnerable and they can fall for it hook , line, and sinker…….As a parent, I would like for the US government to not mess with my child in the hallowed halls of his/her high school ….. NCLB sneaking in the back door
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Elaine – you hit on a pet peeve. The armed services targeted my child while he was in high school. The schools give out the students’ names and addresses unless you opt out. And that doesn’t stop the military from coming into the schools and recruiting.
I always wondered if the database was another way to recruit our high school students into ROTC or even boot camp.
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