This is one of the silliest, most embarrassing articles I have read in a very long time. It was allegedly written by two teachers as a rebuke to Carol Burris, the experienced high school principal who has made a hash of Common Core in her many writings for Valerie Strauss’s Answer Sheet in the Washington Post.
The teacher who says she teaches kindergarten wants to make sure that her 5-year-old students are “college-and-career-ready.” Really? So if a 5-year-old can’t count to 100, they won’t have a career or go to college? Surely, she jests.
Has she ever heard of “Defending the Early Years,” an organization of early childhood experts who believe the Common Core standards are indeed developmentally inappropriate. In this article, Professor Nancy Carlsson-Paige says that it is “ridiculous” to expect little children to count to 100. So what if they learn to do it next year or the year after?
What is super embarrassing about the article is that both teachers are identified as “part of Student Achievement Partners.” No mention of the fact that Student Achievement Partners is funded by the Gates Foundation or that Student Achievement Partners was founded by David Coleman, architect of the Common Core standards. Or that SAP played the leading role in writing the standards.
Come on, guys, how about a full disclosure?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Whether or not they were actually paid anything to write the article, they are still being “paid” with jobs by people who care nothing for small children.
I believe the writer is a gentleman. I’ll not post his name along with information, but I had to take a peak at his CV. I’m guessing he first started teaching in ’10.
Be sure to contact him with: (according to his linked in profile)
career opportunities
consulting offers
new ventures
job inquiries
expertise requests
business deals
reference requests
getting back in touch
Keep an eye on this young lad’s career. Bet he is headed for high places.
Makes you wonder how Finnish education system gets such amazing results when they don’t begin formal instruction until age 7!
The main reason is that they have mostly middle class students that have a rich, varied core of experiences to draw from, an adequate vocabulary and good health care & nutrition. If all American students entered school on such a firm foundation. they would be prepared to learn as well.
Thanks for alerting us to this, Diane. This tactic of encouraging (paying?) teachers to perpetuate the notion that real classroom teachers support the corporate education industry reforms is really starting to get to me. Last week, a teacher at my own school wrote an article on Huffington Post http://huff.to/1sqN711 defending the Vergara ruling. Way at the bottom she was identified as a TeachPlus Fellow, but the jist was that we were hearing from a regular old teacher who just felt moved to speak out against tenure for teachers. It didn’t mention the $500 she had been paid to testify before Congress the same day the article came out to advance the position that teachers don’t think teachers should have tenure. But she was. We have to remain diligent to catch these phonies, call them out in comments where the articles are posted, and write our own posts!
Yes. Let’s have a full disclosure. More astro turfing reformers! http://www.publicschoolshakedown.org/audit-of-bill-gates-common-core-spending
From the link: “ Also involved in creation of CCSS is Student Achievement Partners, the company David Coleman started in 2007 in order produce national standards.”
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/education_and_the_media/2014/01/editor_picked_for_real_clear_education.html
From this link: “Real Clear Education, the soon-to-be-launched education news channel of RealClearPolitics.com and Bellwether Education Partners, now has an editor.
It’s Emmeline Zhao, who was the associate education editor of The Huffington Post until last year and before that was an economics reporter and an intern at The Wall Street Journal.”
I think the acronym (SAP) aptly applies to those two “teachers”…and anyone else who thinks that “Common Core” is even worth keeping on the books. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that “Common Core” is lacking common sense, and those who are pushing it down our throats are too.
It’s a serious problem when teachers like Robbie Torney have no self awareness and no professional awareness about how they are being used as tools to promote the market driven reforms that are harmful to all students and all communities. How could this teacher model critical thinking for students when she has no understanding about how to think for herself?
Notice that Robbie Torney teaches in a charter school. And for how long has he (she?) taught?
This article was damn funny. I taught K for 8 years. If this teacher doesn’t think that some things that are being asked are unreasonable, then this teacher has no faculty for understanding reason.
And why focus on everyone counting to 100 at the end of the year? That’s just about the easiest damn standard for K. Nearly every kid gets that. How about reading a book and being asked to write an opinion about the book in 1st quarter independently? Never mind fine motor skill development or fluency!!!!! This was asked of my students for our Quarterly benchmarks in Chicago. This was laughably unreasonable. Nearly every kid did poorly for obvious reasons. How is this beneficial to anyone?
TY, Diane. That article is well…ridiculous. But then I and those who read the “marketing” article to which you refer, can read critically and know the context and players in this horrid time of education…and all for the profits and the depthless desire to control the masses by a few who hold the $$$$$. These don’t want to see the BIG WHITE ELEPHANT TRUMPING … POVERTY. So instead of addressing the source of the problem, more barriers are set up.
I love how the Kindergarten teacher assumes that “differing expectations lead to levels of achievement,” as if that’s all it takes for every child to achieve at the same level. As if EVERY child has to be the same? I wonder if this person really teaches Kindergarten, because all it takes is about five minutes in a room full of students of any age to realize how different kids are. Isn’t that wonderful? Unfortunately, not to the “reformers.”
Readers need to leave a comment at this link and send Torney a message that she does not speak for us –
http://www.realcleareducation.com/articles/2014/10/09/common_core_classroom_perspectives_teachers_carol_burris_1114-comments.html#disqus_thread
The fake corporate Pub-Ed movement is running out of propaganda ideas to fool people about the CCSS, and the agenda to rank and yank teachers in addition to closing public schools and opening corporate for profit charters to replace them. Hence the silliness embarrassment. The spin doctors are getting desperate as the billionaire oligarchs are getting fed up with them.
Please note the new email address – peggyfunkhouser99@gmail.com
Why stop at academics? Shouldn’t our young, 5 year old men, be NBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL ready as well. At least NCAA ready, I would hope. Ending recess is a start. Its time for two-a-days; and Pre-K better not pass up this idea.
NY T,
Let’s avoid gender bias . . . what about women’s basketball?
Vivian Stringer, Rutgers U women’s basketball coach, would want students college/sports ready. She’s one of NJ’s highest-paid public employees. Stringer’s pay beats both Eva Moskowitz and Carmen Farina on total pay OR per-pupil basis.
Folks, what are our priorities?
Potemkin teachers of the common core.
Stepford Teachers of The Common Core…
I really wonder about teachers like this who align themselves with these organizations that want nothing more than to cut the legs off of good teachers and public ed. SAP is aptly named.
Carol Burris should take this as a compliment. It means she’s causing currents in their little ocean. Much like something Diane went through when she went after the Billionaire Boys’ Club. So many articles by so many writers who embarrassed themselves when they attacked you. Who was that other “Diane” who worked for Klein and whose name was similar to yours? She used to write pieces in Huffpo trying to disparage you only to have the comment section go ballistic against her.
From the ridiculous to the…
Well, I am going to quote “Dr.” Steve Perry [“America’s Most Trusted Educator” channeling rapper Jay-Z] so you finish the above sentence as you will.
“Men lie and women lie but numbers don’t.”
This blog is about to hit 15 million views just shy of 2 1/2 years of existence. Can anyone dispute that such titantium-tempered data points point to great success?
“I reject that mind-set.” [Michelle Rhee]
For once, we are in agreement…
😎
Dr. Ravitch,
“Most absurd” sure fits. Am reminded of Kindergarten teachers who say parents claim child can count to 50 but the youngster can’t show 6 Cheerios/cubes. Or the doctor whose 1st-grade daughter could chant 29 +2=31 after Kumon math but couldn’t draw a picture to show 7+4.
Number sense is important; US math educators have published how-to.
We could teach kindergartners to curse in a foreign language/to count to 100.
This week as my union endorsed sone of the most ardent supporters of common core – I was reminded that we still have a lot of convincing to do. As I watch campaign ads in Nevada brag about education reform, I am reminded that we still need to speak out for our kids. It is still popular to demonize teachers and revamp our education system to please businesses and billionaires.
Angie,
We have plenty of sickening charter school ads here as well. To make matters worse, the UFT ad is totally unconvincing.
I think it’s funny how the kindergarten teacher says “I don’t want anyone telling me what my kids can and can’t learn”… as an argument in *favor* of CCSS.
Loved the Public Education Nation forum held in Brooklyn on the 11th. I googled Cincinnati’s Public School to see how they turned their school district around. I was surprised/dismayed to see the Gates Foundation and Students First listed following teachers, students and Teachers Unions.
Playing devils advocate here, how do I explain this to people I’m trying to bring over to our side, the side of authentic reformers not corporate, privatization reformers. Or, how do I find out if these facts are legitimate?
Attached is the article:
http://growthandjustice.org/facts.fixes/education/success/cincinnati
Thanks,
Janet
Janet, The link to the “growth and justice.org” tells me that the writer of that post is doing boilerplate for Students First and for The New Teacher Project (TNTP) both legacies of Michelle Rhee. t.
Here is some of the skinny on Cincinnati Public Schools “human capital management plan” from TNTP.
“Phase I: In late 2008, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) participated in TNTP’s research for a national study, The Widget Effect, published in June 2009.
Phase II: In the summer of 2009, CPS, the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers (CFT), and the Cincinnati Association of Administrators and Supervisors asked TNTP to explore a broader range of topics and identify policies and practices that prevent teachers from maximizing their impact on student learning.”
This initiative was not entirely from the union and administrators.
TNTP received a US Teacher Incentive Grant to promote pay-for performance. The Greater Cincinnati Business Committee, Gates, and “Strive,” a program sponsored by Knowledge Works, a local foundation dedicated to “reformy” ideas were instrumental in getting all this started. The Greater Cincinnati Business Committee includes reps from our hard-to-ignore major employers, including P&G, GE, and others.
If you want to see how TNTP operates to install pay-for-performance and damage unions see the very slick and all too persuasive report at:
Click to access newtchrprojrpt.pdf
In 2000, Gates spent $8 million on his FAILED experiment in small high schools program that amount split between Cincinnati and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
The Gates” other funds to Cincinnati Public Schools were channeled through Knowledge Works, a local foundation (one of the largest in the state) for PR in 2003 $182,000, and 2008, $490.000.
So who reads these articles and believes them? Not many, not many. <– said in my best Bruce Springsteen voice during his recorded performance of Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
When you know the truth, you know it. When you learn the truth, you get angry with the liars and want to spread more of the truth. Comment sections are wonderful places to spread the truth.
But here is the sad thing. The parents of those children believe them. That is a problem. They are allowing their children to be sacrificed to the altar of reform. These poor children.
Hard to imagine what these children will NEVER be as they are cattle-prodded down the standards-driven superhighway!!
thenextlevel2000,
We have charter school rejects at my school still wearing their charter shirts. Those parents may have reached some conclusions.
“College Ready in Kindergarten”
College ready in kindergarten
Bachelor’s in first
PhD in second grade
A life that’s well-rehearsed
Yikes!
I followed the links to RealClear Education and saw another article: “Young teachers deserve Retirement Protections Too”. Turns out, the author is advocating for allowing teachers “to participate in more modern, portable options like cash balance plans, which accrue at a normal rate and can be taken by employees between careers and across state lines” because they might only teach for three years. Guess the TFA’s and other temporary help want their retirement cake. When I checked (admittedly I am cynical), turns out that this website is funded by the John (Enron) and Laura Arnold Foundation – you know, the folks who paid for the PBS show advocating for stripping teachers of a defined benefit plan – “The Pension Peril”.
Guess we can’t trust PBS or RealClear.
http://www.realcleareducation.com/articles/2014/09/12/young_teachers_deserve_retirement_protections_too_1101.html
Christine, Real Clear Education is funded not only by the Arnold Foundation, which does not like public sector pensions, but also the Jacqueline Hume Foundation, which supports charters and vouchers.
This is the best part of the page:
“In addition to advertisers, certain areas of RealClearEducation’s coverage are supported by the funders listed below. We disclose all funders. All editorial decisions are made independently and solely by RealClearEducation’s editorial staff and no content or links should be considered to represent the views of any of the following funders:
The Laura and John Arnold Foundation supports RealClearEducation’s coverage of issues affecting teacher pensions.
The New Venture Fund provides general operating support to RealClearEducation “
There was a good piece in the NYT about the contrast between US pension systems and Dutch pension plans.
Any teacher of the kindergarten aged child who pays attention to the children wouldn’t have these weird preconceived notions. Just because the standard it is written on paper and we practice often doesn’t make it DAP. Districts sometimes insist on early childhood specialists in the early grades, and sometimes do not. It is one of the most vital roles of a teacher of the young child, to advocate for DAP with whomever will listen. Otherwise, there is no point.
No one ever said that all teachers were smart. They are certainly not well informed. Kindergarten without a doll and housekeeping corner will not guarantee Harvard admission.
Helen,
I’m curious why you mentioned Harvard. For the class of 2013, Harvard received 34,295 applicants but only 2,048 were admitted. There were 1,662 on the waiting list and only 30 of those were admitted.
For a parent to expect a kindergartener teacher to make sure their child will be accepted to a college like Harvard is the same as a parent thinking their kindergartener will become president of the United States without considering the odds since their are about 317 million Americans and the U.S. has had only 44 presidents since 1789.
There are almost 3,000 4-year colleges in the United States and in the fall of 2014, some 21 million students were expected to attend American colleges and universes, an increase of about 5.7 million since fall of 2000.
And Harvard doesn’t even make the Top-25 list for Job Recruiter Picks for graduates on the path to a profession.
http://online.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704554104575435563989873060
But Harvard did make the top 10 list for graduating from colleges that lead to the highest paying jobs. Harvard was tied for last place with Brown University and Stanford.
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/10-colleges-that-lead-to-the-highest-paying-jobs/
I think it is arguable that the odds of any young American getting into Harvard are astronomical regardless of the quality of a kindergarten teacher or any of the other 30 to 50 teachers the average child has K to 12.
In fact, I think the parent is much more important than any or all of a child’s teachers.
For the U.S. college graduating class of 2018, the odds of graduating from Harvard are about 0.009%. But I’m sure if you are one of Bill Gates children, your odds of getting into Harvard will be almost guaranteed. All he has to do is endow a few hundred million to the college. Chump change for the wealthiest man on earth who is used to buying anything he wants—even elected representatives in every state.
But I suspect Gates will probably send his children to Stanford where Steve Jobs son went.