Saturday, June 15, 2013
Do Not Shake Hands with #commoncore
Some days it is terribly overwhelming to read the comments of despair
and desperation from parents who are trying to figure out how to help
their children who are suffering from severe anxiety after being told
they will be retained due to failing the state test. Many of these
children must take the test multiple times and must attend summer school
- even when they have passing grades on their report cards. It is
because of this that I have no tolerance for any sort of compromise to
the common core - because those who think the common core may have
something "good" to share must understand that
the common core is going to intensify this situation in ways that will
fail children emotionally, intellectually and physically. It will kill
their spirits. Under common core the high stakes testing will increase - it already
has. I see it everywhere I turn. If you - for one second- think you can
find an agreeable compromise with common core, think again. Common core
will never be separated from high stakes testing and for those who
think they can walk that line just remember the children who are being
abused - think of them when you shake hands with common core. If you
don't believe me go to our website (www.unitedoptout.com) and start reading the comments. Texas
is a good place to begin. Perhaps then you will understand my rage, and
the rage of parents and teachers everywhere who are fighting to end
this child abuse. I am tired, truly tired, of hearing teachers advocate
for the common core. Your advocacy is destroying our profession and the
lives of children.
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I totally agree with your assessment that the CCSS will never be separated from testing. In addition, the testing is no longer focused on informing instruction. The testing has everything to do with grading teachers and schools in the most inefficient, ineffective and expensive manner possible.
ReplyDeleteand profiting at their expense...
DeleteCCSS is intolerable. As a politically and financially endorsed form of societal control and child abuse, CCSS compels us to fight and destroy it. Child abuse for profit cannot be tolerated in any form.
ReplyDelete-Ken
About 30 years ago, the American School became a place where the evidence was created and gathered which would prohibit the vast MAJORITY Of children from escaping the social/ethnic/class niches they were born into and for, and rationalize de facto "decisions" about the child's future that were made, in effect, before s/he set foot in a single classroom.
ReplyDeleteHigh-stakes testing is the epitome of that schema.
I agree 100 percent. I am one of those parents who decided my children would no longer be lab rats who were ignored because they were high achieving students. They also are not going to waste any time of test prep or testing itself. We now homeschool while advocating for change. I used to teach kindergarten and we tested a large amount of the year even in that grade. It was horrible. I cannot make peace with that type of school model. I will continue to advocate for change and educate others even though we no longer use public schools. We MUST advocate for these children whose voices are so often ignored.
ReplyDeleteTeachers that I know and work for are NOT advocating for the common core. I am a teacher and I am SCREAMING what you are saying. It is being shoved down our throats by legislators. I am ashamed of NEA and the corporate whore position they are taking. They are not listening to their own members. Principals and teachers are state employees and are trying to feed their families. On the side,many are encouraging parents to opt out. Teachers in Seattle risked their jobs to protest one test. Common core did not originate from teachers.
ReplyDeleteHi Ellen,
DeleteI am also one of those teachers who is screaming. Keep screaming :) What scares me the most is how many educators still believe that common core can somehow be molded into something positive - nothing positive can come of this. And you are correct, not a single classroom teacher was involved in writing the common corporate standards. We must keep educating. Many students/parents are encouraging opt out - we at United Opt Out National will have an opt out/refusal guide for every state by June 30th! Be sure to check at www.unitedoptout.com.
Solidarity,
Peg