Common Core
| Even if you're just a sometime follower of news, chances you've
heard of "Common Core". This is a federal program now in place in nearly
all states that ultimately will destroy public education. It's bad for
kids and teachers just like most everything that comes out of
Washington. Many states are now trying to undo Common Core now that they
see what a mess it is. Wouldn't it have been easier not to have gotten
tangled up in it to begin with? I guess I'll do a little horn tooting for myself now. The forerunner and foundation for Common Core was called "Race To The Top". This is when the feds dangled millions of dollars in front of state and local boards of educations. The catch was to get the money schools had to implement Race To The Top/Common Core standards. A Little more history. Standards were released on June 2, 2010, with a majority of states adopting the standards in the subsequent months. States were given an incentive to adopt the Common Core Standards through the possibility of competitive federal Race to the Top grants. President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the Race to the Top competitive grants on July 24, 2009, as a motivator for education reform. To be eligible, states had to adopt "internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the work place." When the vote for Loudon County schools to participate in Race To The Top/Common Core came up, I was on the school board. Of ten school board members, I was the only one who voted against taking the federal money. See minutes below.
If there's one thing that's as sure as the sun coming up, it's that when you take the feds money you'll have play their game. The little fish always likes the bait right up till he gets the hook. |
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3/12/14