tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post5737429636141500610..comments2024-03-24T11:39:28.574-04:00Comments on NYC Public School Parents: What we talk about when we talk about the Common CorePatrick Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10631038958645725010noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-73137139841048840312012-12-10T08:55:16.539-05:002012-12-10T08:55:16.539-05:00Why is non-fiction being called "informationa...Why is non-fiction being called "informational text"? When I go the library, bookstore, New York Times Bestseller List, or Amazon Kindle Store, I see these books listed as non-fiction... How is changing the term for these books helping children? What other terms are being changed and why? For example, main idea is no longer main idea. Supporting details is no longer supporting details. It makes absolutely no sense except to deliberately confuse children in the hopes of lower scores or to make someone's friend, reltative, or donor more money. I don't know - maybe both...LeBearnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-2759244401159900942012-12-05T10:59:33.232-05:002012-12-05T10:59:33.232-05:00Often problems with standards stem from which part...Often problems with standards stem from which particular experts had a "seat at the table" at the right time.<br /><br />The ELA/Literacy standards were, to the extent they were designed by educators or academics at all (a lot of it was just testing experts), it was dominated by reading/literacy people, not English Language Arts teachers and particularly not high school English teachers.<br /><br />I gather that they may have a point regarding the lack of non-fiction in packaged elementary reading programs, but, like you said, didn't give the implications for other grade levels much thought.<br /><br />It isn't so much a nefarious scheme as the inevitable result of keeping the standards-making process too closed.Tom Hoffmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08577165613934129833noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-46828915863043443672012-12-05T10:54:12.073-05:002012-12-05T10:54:12.073-05:00It's butterflies and roses on the Upper East S...It's butterflies and roses on the Upper East Side too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-37818344995525620332012-12-05T09:36:34.007-05:002012-12-05T09:36:34.007-05:00I have to comment here as NYC is the only NY area ...I have to comment here as NYC is the only NY area where parents are informed and speaking out on the common core roll out. As the saying goes, the 'Upstaters' are about 3-5 years behind whatever NYC is talking about, 5-10 years behind in fashion.<br /><br />I live in one of the wealthy ROC area suburbs and parents have their heads in the sand. Everything's all butterflies & roses when 98% of the district's kids graduate with honors and AP credits out the whazoo. Special education parents are just beginning to catch on how NYSED & the Board of Regents has made it easier for districts to alter IEPs (a/k/a 'tie IEPs to the CCLS'). The ones impacted the most-- as far as I can see-- are the non alternate assessment ASD & other cognitively impaired middle and high school students. Students, like my 16 y/o son, are now being FORCED to sit in "Special Class Regents" classes where the materials are modified but where the Regents finals will not be. The Local diploma 'Safety Net' option misses the mark by lowering the passing grade. My child can learn but he can't take decipher those tests. Meanwhile he has to sit in classes that he has no chance of passing when perhaps he could be using his time enrolled in things that interest him and that will help him get a job. Yes, so please Mr. King and Ms. Tisch, longer exams and more of them are *exactly* what our NYS children need.<br /><br />Special ed parents are apparently supposed to l-u-v CCLS b/c it promotes inclusion and (finally) mandates access to the gen ed curriculum, and perhaps if my son were entering K or 1st grade I'd swallow the CCLS dialogue our district is feeding us: Common Core objectives are the unicorns to the butterflies & roses; CC offers an educational 'cure' for autism, learning disabilities, etc.; and our teachers are just so gosh darn ready to get their professional development (once we spend $$ on the highest snake oil vendor) so that someday in the very near future (we promise) Gen Ed teachers will finally be ready to embrace your special needs child in the classroom.<br /><br />CCLS is another budget-saving gen ed intervention to delay, identify and serve special ed students. Special ed parents have heard/seen it before: RtI, UDL, DL are all aimed at keeping parents as far away from their IDEA rights and for as long as possible. And watch out, b/c the Feds are coming for IDEA before Arne Duncan leaves DC.<br /><br />Long rant, sorry. After 9 years of being shuttled to pull-out services and self-contained classrooms, NYSED and our wealthy district is a day late and, er, about $40k/year short on educating my son.Advo Snobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-18284538599694224242012-12-05T08:53:38.291-05:002012-12-05T08:53:38.291-05:00The whole argument about CCSS is summed up in thes...The whole argument about CCSS is summed up in these sentences:<br /><br />"David Coleman, who never taught a day in his life, yet was given the power to make these irrational and arbitrary prescriptions for the nation’s schoolchildren. Who appointed him Czar: Bill Gates?"<br /><br />Arne Duncan and private corporations do not have the legal authority to establish national standards/curriculum, but yet they are attempting to do so under the false statement that these are "state led". How many billions of dollars and students destroyed will it take before the root of the problem is discussed and this unholy (and illegal) alliance is dismantled?<br /><br />Anonymous raises a good point as well. Not only will Pearson not let parents see the test, parents cannot see the tests from NWEA. <br /><br />http://www.missourieducationwatchdog.com/2012/12/2012-educational-odyssey-and-halene.html<br /><br />With the assessments on line, there will be nothing for the student to bring home to review with the parents. The taxpayers who are paying for the public schools are denied basic information on their students' education.stlgretchenhttp://www.missourieducationwatchdog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2586988941850907367.post-1641495349699133822012-12-04T22:51:08.485-05:002012-12-04T22:51:08.485-05:00What about the fact that we are not allowed to eve...What about the fact that we are not allowed to even see the Pearson tests. My daughter had a perfect score on the ELA exam in third grade. Ever since then, she has scored lower every single year. She is now is 7th grade and for the first time received a 3 instead of a 4 yet she continues to get high grades from her ELA teachers. I would love to know why. Is it Pearson's fault? WHY AREN'T WE ALLOWED TO SEE THE TESTS?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com