Nevadans Against Common Core (Nevada Academic Content Standards)

the FLAWED PROCESS

The standards were written by TWO WORK GROUPS, 29 people total - one for English language arts and one for mathematics.  Both work groups were composed mostly by members of Achieve Inc., ACT (College testing), and the College Board (SAT college testing, and high school advanced placement classes). 

There were TWO FEEDBACK GROUPS, 37 people total - one for English language arts and one for mathematics.

There was ONE VALIDATION COMMITTEE, 29 people.

Some CC proponents say they were state lead.  In reality they were lead by Achieve Inc. and the testing companies - ACT and College Board. I am not sure how anyone could say this was “state” led.

Anthony Cody wrote this article titled, THE SECRET SIXTY PREPARE TO WRITE STANDARDS FOR 50 MILLION, Mr. Cody writes, "Sixty individuals, ONE teacher among them, will write national education standards in the next five months, in a secret process that excludes effective input from students, parents or teachers."

Truth in American Education writes, "THE CC STANDARDS WERE INITIATED BY PRIVATE INTERESTS IN WASHINGTON, DC, WITHOUT ANY REPRESENTATION FROM THE STATES. EVENTUALLY THE CREATORS REALIZED THE NEED TO PRESENT A FAÇADE OF STATE INVOLVEMENT AND THEREFORE ENLISTED THE NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION (NGA) (A TRADE ASSOCIATION THAT DOESN’T INCLUDE ALL GOVERNORS) AND THE COUNCIL OF CHIEF STATE SCHOOL OFFICERS (CCSSO), ANOTHER DC-BASED TRADE ASSOCIATION. NEITHER OF THESE GROUPS HAD A GRANT OF AUTHORITY FROM ANY PARTICULAR STATE OR STATES TO WRITE THE STANDARDS. THE BULK OF THE CREATIVE WORK WAS DONE BY ACHIEVE, INC., A DC-BASED NONPROFIT THAT INCLUDES MANY PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION REFORMERS WHO HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING NATIONAL STANDARDS AND CURRICULUM FOR DECADES. MASSIVE FUNDING FOR ALL THIS CAME FROM PRIVATE INTERESTS SUCH AS THE GATES FOUNDATION."

The committee meetings were held with little/no input from: parents, teachers, the states education experts, or elected officials. According to one observer, “ALL OF TH ESTANDARDS WRITING AND DISCUSSIONS WERE SEALED BY CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS AND HELD IN PRIVATE."

Dr. Stotsky, CC Validation Committee:

"WE HAD TO SIGN A CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT THAT WE WOULD NOT EVER DISCUSS WHAT TOOK PLACE IN THE MEETING ITSELF."

FIVE MEMBERS OF THE 29 MEMBER VALIDATION COMMITTEE:

Alfino Flores PhD

Barry McGaw PhD

James Milgram PhD

Sandra Stotsky PhD

Dylan William PhD

WOULD NOT SIGN OFF ON COMMON CORE (page 8).

COMMENTS SUBMITTED BY THE FIVE MEMBERS WHO WOULD NOT SIGN OFF ON THE STANDARDS WERE NEVER PUBLISHED.

In his testimony to the Indiana General Assembly, in October Dr. James Milgram said, the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RUSHED THE CC VALIDATION COMMITTEE.  The federal government claims to have no input into CC.

While the standards were being written almost 500 early childhood health and education professionals signed a letter to the NGA and CCSSO stating:

 “WE HAVE GRAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE CORE STANDARDS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN NOW BEING WRITTEN BY THE NGA AND CCSSO.  THE DRAFT STANDARDS MADE PUBLIC IN JANUARY CONFLICT WITH COMPELLING NEW RESEARCH IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE, NEUROSCIENCE, CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ABOUT HOW YOUNG CHILDREN LEARN, WHAT THEY NEED TO LEARN, AND HOW BEST TO TEACH THEM IN KINDERGARTEN AND THE EARLY GRADES...

WE CALL ON THE NGA AND THE CCSSO TO SUSPEND THEIR CURRENT DRAFTING OF STANDARDS FOR CHILDREN IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE THREE.”

It is unfortunate that the letter was ignored by the NGA and CCSSO, because now we have a Common Core Syndrome.

"We have children that are being diagnosed by psychologists with a syndrome directly related to work that they do in the classroom."

MY THOUGHTS:

The process was flawed. The goal was to adopt standards (not necessarily high or grade appropriate standards).  In my opinion this is apparent by the lack of respect and consideration given to the only two standards experts on the Validation Committee, who had already written high K-12 standards in other states, Dr. Milgram and Dr.  Stotsky.  Milgram was very involved in developing high K-12 math standards in California, and Stotsky was very involved with developing the "highest ELA standards in the country" in Massachusetts.  The opinion of almost 500 early childhood health and education professionals was ignored.  In addition the "federal government" who was not supposed to be involved in creating national standards, rushed development of the standards.

COMMON CORE IS DOUBLING DOWN ON THE LAST BAD IDEA FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, No Child Left Behind.

In addition, Common Core is the beginning of the end of local control in education.  CC is the biggest education experiment in the United States in our lifetime. The cost is incredible, the profits of the publishing companies will improve, but student learning won't.

Brookings Institute report on CC in 2012 stated: "THE STUDY FORSEES LITTLE TO NO IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING."

In a follow up report on CC in 2014, in reference to using CC, the Brookings Institute wrote:  THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF AN IMPRESIVE ACCOMPLISHMENT.