Inside the Mammoth Backlash to Common Core - Mother Jones

[Android3.14]

Inside the Mammoth Backlash to Common Core How a bipartisan education reform effort became the biggest conservative bogeyman since Obamacare.—By Tim Murphy | September/October 2014 Issue

ONE NIGHT LAST SEPTEMBER, a 46-year-old Veterans Administration research manager named Robert Small showed up at a public meeting with state education officials in Towson*, a Maryland suburb, with a pen, a notebook, and an ax to grind. Small had been doing some homework on the main topic of the event, a set of math and language arts standards called Common Core that had recently been introduced in schools across the country, including his kids'. Fresh from work in a crisp, checkered shirt, he stood up in an overflow crowd and channeled his inner Henry V. "I want to know how many parents here are aware that the goal of the Common Core standards isn't to prepare our children for world-class universities—it's to prepare them for community college!" An off-duty police officer approached, and Small began to shout. "You're sitting here like cattle!" Out came the handcuffs. "Hey, is this America?" Small bellowed, as he jostled with the officer. "Parents, you need to question these people! Do the research!"

*****

This contrasts to some of the ignorant BS I've noted coming from the keyboards of supposed educators and faux progressive advocates of education.

[Chakab]

1. Obamacare, Cap and Trade, START treaty, Common Core etc...

These were all either Republican policy initiatives or policies that had wide bi-partisan support before the Obama Administration attempted to adopt (or co-opt) them.

I'm sorry, I know that a lot of people on DU don't like it when these words are used, but the backlash in the Republican base on these issues boils down to racism or stupidity or both. These people either didn't know or didn't care about these policies when they were supported by Republicans, but as soon as you put Obama's name in the mix, all hell breaks loose.


What's even more infuriating is the fact that Obama and the establishment Democrats have been "keeping the powder dry" for years and years in a futile attempt to appease these people rather than addressing the needs of their own base.

[questionseverything]

2. link and snip

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/09/common-core-education-reform-backlash-obamacare

Supporters of Common Core were trying to paint all opponents as right-wingers and tea party people, and here's me, who has been accused of being a communist, a socialist, a terrorist—you name it!" Naison says, laughing. He believes Common Core, like No Child Left Behind, is turning inner-city kids into lab rats, shuttled from school to school because of standardized exams that have turned their classrooms into little more than test prep. The problem with public education, he and his allies contend, isn't lacking standards; it's crushing inequality. No concoction of math benchmarks and informational texts will give kids in the Bronx the advantages of their peers in Westchester, let alone Helsinki. But Common Core will cost schools a lot of time and money that could be spent elsewhere. (The city of Los Angeles, for instance, spent $1 billion from a school construction bond on iPads outfitted by Pearson for the purpose of Common Core testing, rather than using it to fix crumbling schools.)

[femmocrat]

4. Is this link to the same article in the OP?

The OP did not provide a link... so I have no idea what his/her point was about "supposed educators and faux progressive advocates of education."

[questionseverything]

11. same article

I have no idea what his/her point was about "supposed educators and faux progressive advocates of education."

me either

i am not totally against common core but i am TOTALLY against defunding public schools and cc is being used to do that

[AllyCat]

3. This is one issue I agree with the Righties.

Common Core and more importantly, the horrible testing that goes with it is a waste of money. We need standards, but the testing has no purpose except to fight for limited federal money and blame teachers when kids don't meet expectations.

I disagree with righties on how to fix it.

Watching my 6and 8 year old struggle with 2 hours of homework a night (it doesn't teach them anything. It's just repetition of what they already did in class) drives it home daily how misguided CCSS is. We need standards, but this isn't it.

[femmocrat]

6. I wonder what happened to all those subject standards we had to write in the 1990s?

In my subject area we had national and state standards. We spend endless hours adapting our curricula to "meet the standards". We have had standards for decades.... so what was the reason for Common Core -- except for someone to make a fortune on the testing that goes with it.

[AllyCat]

7. Someone on DU linked an article this week fromTime?

Talking about educators not being trained on how to teach the new curricula that goes with the math for CC.

I remember those tests back in the day. They were every few years and were specific to Illinois. I think the original idea behind CC is that it could be adapted nationwide (although a few states have not). Of course, that idea was pushed to the back of the relevancy file once the corps saw how to make billions.

[femmocrat]

8. Yes, I understand the "new" math is nightmarish!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1124&pid=9326

It refers to an excellent article about what teachers and students are facing now.


I'm glad I retired.

[femmocrat]

5. LINK? Please?

I'm trying to figure out your comment about "supposed educators and faux progressive advocates of education."

[Starry Messenger]

9. Hey, this isn't a place where you can attack educators, so I'd appreciate it if you removed

your last remark.

People are willing to have discussions in good faith in here, but as a host I will take steps if I feel someone is creating a hostile environment for the regular subscribers.

Thanks.

[captfoster5]

10. Not sure ...

about this Common Core. I've heard some good things about it, but I remain extremely skeptical especially in light of NCLB and the profit motive being a part of our public education system. There seems to be a part in Common Core that may start allowing teachers to actually teach their students critical thinking and problem solving skills instead of merely to the test. Its just tragic a whole generation of children got screwed because of NCLB.

[AllyCat]

13. Welcome to DU!

I grew up in Rockford. Sounds like you have lots of connections there. Thanks for working for the 98%!

[Android3.14]

12. Linked. Sorry

I did link it, but the link button disliked the format of the text and screwed up the html, omitting the link. Sorry for the hassle.

It's fixed.