Common Core Education And More About Federal Government Control

[Ross]

Michigan Education Board
Secretly Keeping Parents
Out of Gender Decisions for Children
It's "safer" that way.

3.25.2016

ebruary 23rd, the Michigan State Board of Education quietly (without a press release) issued guidelines to public schools that instructed teachers to allow students to choose their own gender and which bathroom to use all without parental involvement.

The department's website published its "Statement and Guidance on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Students" online and are allowing a month of public comments (March 12 - May 11) that will be "reviewed and considered" before the final version is drafted.

Here are some of the proposals:

The responsibility for determining a student's gender identity rests with the student. Outside confirmation from medical or mental health professionals, or documentation of legal changes, is not needed.
School staff should address students by their chosen name and pronouns that correspond to their gender identity, regardless of whether there has been a legal name change. Upon request, the chosen name and gender should be included in the district's information management systems, in addition to the student's legal name.
Transgender and GNC [gender nonconforming] students have the right to decide when, with whom, and to what extent to share private information. When contacting the parent/guardian of a transgender or GNC student, school staff should use the student's legal name and the pronoun corresponding to the student's assigned sex at birth, unless the student or parent/guardian has specified otherwise.
Students should be allowed to use the restroom in accordance with their gender identity. Alternative and non-stigmatizing options, such as an all-gender or single- user restroom (e.g., staff bathroom or nurse's office), should be made available to students who request them, but not presented as the only option.
A student should not be required to use a locker room that is incongruent with their gender identity.
Students should be allowed to participate in physical education classes and intramural sports in accordance with their gender identity.
Michigan Republicans are calling the move "social engineering," according to Detroit News. In retaliation, the state House pulled all travel and per-diem funding for the board of education to send "a message" to the majority-Democrat members.

But social justice groups are screaming loud and clear that the guidelines are entirely appropriate. Jay Kaplan of the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan said:

It's not about keeping secrets from parents. You just have to be very careful and at least have the conversation with the student to make sure this would not harm them.

Amy Hunter also works for the Michigan ACLU, is a transgender woman, and added this for moral support:

It feels degrading to have your authentic identity disregarded. These are important things for the students' self-esteem, their sense of self-respect, their sense of inclusion. It's a simple fix.

http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/michigan-education-board-secretly-keeping-parents-out-gender-decisions-children

[Ross]

New York Sees Massive Number of Assessment Opt-Outs Again

APRIL 6, 2016 BY SHANE VANDER HART 1 COMMENT

New York State saw 20% of their students opt-out of their Common Core-aligned assessments last year.  This prompted the New York Board of Regents to makes some changes, such as, offer a shorter test.

While I don't know if we'll see the record amounts of opt-outs we saw last year it is pretty clear the numbers will be big this year as well.

Newsday reports thousands of students have refused the test on Long Island.

Thousands of students in a dozen of Long Island's biggest districts already submitted forms to opt out of the tests, a Newsday survey shows. Administrators said more are expected to do so as the first exams begin Tuesday.

New York students are taking the ELA assessments this week. The math assessments are scheduled for April 13-15.

Carol Burris, writing a guest op/ed at The Washington Post, discussed what her group, Network for Public Education (which is spearheading a national opt-out) has heard in New York.

Eighty-seven percent of the students in Allendale Elementary School outside of Buffalo, New York opted out.  Eighty-six percent of test eligible students in the Long Island district of Comsewogue refused the test, and 89 percent of students in Dolgeville in the Mohawk Valley said "no."

Long Island continues to be the hotbed of testing resistance. Newsday reported that 49.7 percent of all Long Island students refused the test Tuesday even though the Newsday editorial board has repeatedly urged parents to have their children take it.  Patchogue-Medford Superintendent Michael J. Hynes characterized Opt Out as "a thunderclap" sent to Albany.  Seventy-one percent of the students in his district refused the Common Core tests.

There is also evidence that the Opt Out movement is gaining ground with parents of color, with many no longer willing to buy the spin that taking Common Core tests will improve their children's life chances.

Ninety-seven percent of the more than 1,000 students who attend Westbury Middle School in Nassau County are black or Latino, and  81 percent are economically disadvantaged.  On Tuesday, 50 percent of those students were opted out of the tests by their parents. Last year, the number was 2 percent.

It looks to me like the opt-out movement is alive and well and growing.

http://www.cascity.com/howard/forum/index.php?action=post;topic=15765.460;last_msg=228947

[Ross]

PHOTO: Meme Compares
Real Math To Common Core Math
And NAILS It

A brilliant meme recently posted to social media perfectly captured how the counterculture movement promoted by liberals has transformed public education from actual education into progressive indoctrination.

For instance, during most of the 20th century, math class used to be about actual math, even if the courses became progressively less challenging for increasingly sensitive students. These days, it tends to be more about social issues such as racism, discrimination, environmentalism and so-called Islamophobia.

So whereas a math problem in the past stuck to the basics, a Common Core math problem in the present focuses on all the wrong things.

And a math problem in the future ... well, it's a very scary sight to behold:

Math Problem Meme:

Liberals believe that being "tolerant" requires not only immersing students in Islamic culture and Shariah law, but also teaching children never to criticize the often violent religion.

http://conservativetribune.com/meme-compares-math-and-nails-it/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=CampaignMonitor&utm_content=top-story&utm_campaign=DailyEmail04.13.16

[Ross]

Critical Classrooms, Critical Kids
Challenging the forces that are taking
creativity and inspiration out of the classrooms.

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good,
Very Bad Pearson Tests

Over the course of three consecutive days last week, students in grades 3-8 took Pearson's New York State (NYS) Common Core English-language arts (ELA) tests.  As was the case in 2013, 2014 and 2015, the 2016 ELA tests were developmentally inappropriate, confusing and tricky.  Despite the New York State Education Department (NYSED)'s "adjustments" to the 2016 assessments, there was no improvement to the quality of the tests.

While I am barred from disclosing the reading passages and questions that appeared on the tests, in no way will I refrain from broadcasting to the world how outraged I continue to be – year after year – over New York's oppressive testing regime.  Since 2013, when Pearson's Common Core tests were first administered in New York state, I've been documenting this nightmare on my blog.

Here are my thoughts on the 2016 ELA test.  I have focused on third grade because these students – aged eight and nine – are our youngest NYS Common Core test-takers.

1.) The 2016 Common Core ELA test was as absurdly long as it was in 2013, 2014 and 2015 despite the fact that it was shortened by just one reading passage and by a handful of multiple choice questions.

2016 Grade 3 Common Core English Language Arts Test

Day One: 4 reading passages, 24 multiple-choice questions (Students darken the circles on Answer Sheet 1).
Day Two: 3 reading passages (same as 2015), 7 multiple-choice questions (Students darken the circles on Answer Sheet 2), 2 short-response questions (Students write answers directly in Book 2.) 1 extended-response question (Students write answer directly in Book 2).
Day Three: 3 reading passages (same as 2015), 5 short-response questions (Students write answers directly in Book 3) and 1 extended-response question (Students write answer directly in Book 3).
TOTALS: 10 reading passages, 31 multiple-choice questions, 7 short-response questions and 2 extended-response questions.

For the short-response questions, students typically write a paragraph-long response that must include at least two details from the passage. The extended-response question requires an essay-like written response: introduction, supporting evidence/details, conclusion. Where is the NYSED's research that shows that this is an educationally sound testing program for a third grader? Seriously. Does anyone know how the NYSED justifies this? The length alone of these tests warrants our banging of pots and pans in city streets.

2.) Now let's move on to content.  The reading passages were excerpts and articles from authentic texts (magazines and books).  Pearson, the NYSED or Questar did a poor job of selecting and contextualizing the excerpts in the student test booklets.  How many students actually read the one-to-two sentence summaries that appeared at the beginning of the stories? One excerpt in particular contained numerous characters and settings and no clear story focus.  The vocabulary in the non-fiction passages was very technical and specific to topics largely unfamiliar to the average third grader.  In other words, the passages were not meaningful. Many students could not connect the text-to-self nor could they tap into prior knowledge to facilitate comprehension.

3.) The questions were confusing.  They were so sophisticated that it appeared incongruous to me to watch a third grader wiggle her tooth while simultaneously struggle to answer high school-level questions. How does one paragraph relate to another?, for example. Unfortunately, I can't disclose more.  The multiple-choice answer choices were tricky, too. Students had to figure out the best answer among four answer choices, one of which was perfectly reasonable but not the best answer.  Here's what P.S. 321's principal, Elizabeth Phillips, wrote about the 2014 Common Core tests.  Her op-ed We Need to Talk About the Test appeared in The New York Times on April 9, 2014.  These same issues were evident on the third grade 2016 ELA test.

"In general terms, the tests were confusing, developmentally inappropriate and not well aligned with the Common Core standards. The questions were focused on small details in the passages, rather than on overall comprehension, and many were ambiguous. Children as young as 8 were asked several questions that required rereading four different paragraphs and then deciding which one of those paragraphs best connected to a fifth paragraph. There was a strong emphasis on questions addressing the structure rather than the meaning of the texts. There was also a striking lack of passages with an urban setting. And the tests were too long; none of us can figure out why we need to test for three days to determine how well a child reads and writes."

4.) The reading levels of the passages were above "grade" level, whatever "grade" level means these days.  One passage was an article recommended for students in grades 6-8. Has the NYSED done any research on early childhood education? Defending the Early Years cites a Gesell Institute of Child Development report that says,

"...the average age at which children learn to read independently is 6.5 years. Some begin as early as four years and some not until age seven or later – and all of this falls within the normal range."

Yet for the NYS Common Core ELA test, the NYSED expects all third graders to be able to decode and comprehend texts that are typically used with fourth, fifth and sixth graders?

5.) While in theory I prefer untimed tests to timed tests, the lack of a time limit is of little comfort to students who are subjected to developmentally inappropriate tests.  Read this heartbreaking account by a New York City teacher who blogs at pedagogyofthereformed.wordpress.com. Of a former student, this teacher writes,

"After 18 hours of testing over 3 days, she emerged from the classroom in a daze. I asked her if she was ok, and offered her a hug. She actually fell into my arms and burst into tears. I tried to cheer her up but my heart was breaking. She asked if she could read for a while in my room to calm down and then cried into her book for the next 15 minutes."

Leonie Haimson, Executive Director of Class Size Matters, noted in a post on her blog NYC Public School Parents that this "...appears to violate the NY law passed in 2014 that limits state testing time to one percent of total instructional time." Additionally, fellow Change the Stakes member, Rosalie Friend, pointed out that "without a set time limit, the tests no longer are standardized.  Therefore, one cannot draw ANY conclusions from the scores." So this alone seems to invalidate these $44 million tests.

Collectively, we must stop this insanity.  I've been sounding the alarm on these tests since 2013, and the vast majority of educators I know agree with me.  I'm beyond fed-up that I have to continue to administer these assessments to my students.  It is unconscionable to me that Chancellor Fariña, in her 3/15/16 letter to NYC parents, wrote that these tests are "incredibly important" and a "valuable experience for our students." It's been nearly a month since I read those words and my jaw is still on the floor.

Parents – if you haven't already refused the tests, you still have time to opt-out of the Common Core math tests, which will be administered on April 13, 14 and 15 of this week.

Teachers and administrators – the Common Core testing climate in New York state is too dire for you to remain quiet.  Speak up and encourage parents to opt-out.  Boycotting these tests is the only way to change course.

.May this video of these principled MORE teachers inspire you.
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/New-York-City-Teachers-Defy-Chancellor-Common-Core-Opt-Out-374821661.html




See more at https://criticalclassrooms.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/the-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-pearson-tests/

[redcliffsw]

Since 1865, the government has been in the classroom when the Republicans took over America by military force. 

That before they named anything "Common Core" and the government is still running the show.

Ridding of Common Core won't solve the problem. 

Do you have a government approved education?   

[Ross]

Opinion: 47% of
high school grads
aren't prepared for college

By Kati 8aycock

Students meander toward graduation, taking courses that expose them to a little of everything and not much of anything

Once upon a time, when postwar industrial America was in full steam, a young person could leave school with basic skills and get a job that would support a family. That America is no more.

To succeed in today's fast-changing, knowledge-based economy, young people need more skills than ever before. And the jobs that used to require work boots, a good set of tools, and a steady hand now require advanced math, science, and reading — and, typically, also a certificate or degree beyond a high school diploma.

Business leaders have long known this. But ample evidence suggests that many high schools have yet to fully grasp the reality of these new demands.


Despite widespread rhetoric around college and career-readiness for all students, just 8% of graduates from public high schools complete a full college- and career-preparatory course of study. Rates of college- and career-ready course-taking are consistently low across all student groups, according to The Education Trust's new report, "Meandering Toward Graduation: Transcript Outcomes of High School Graduates."

The reality is far too many young people — especially those of color and those from low-income households — have a diploma in hand but lack the knowledge and skills needed to be successful for life beyond high school. In fact, nearly half (47%) of all American public high-school graduates complete neither a college- nor career-ready course of study, defined here as the standard 15-course sequence required for entry at many public colleges, along with three or more credits in a broad career field such as health science or business.


Skipped a bunch of paragraphs)


Perhaps the most damning feedback on our high schools come from young people themselves. Nearly nine out 10 of all recent high school graduates said they would have worked harder if their high schools had demanded more, set higher academic standards, and raised expectations of the coursework and studying necessary to earn a diploma.

(set higher academic standards)

Read the Whole message at; http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-high-schools-are-failing-those-who-earn-a-diploma-2016-04-13

[Diane Amberg]

It was never intended that all students should go to college until college became a big business in the last 30 or so years. Only the top academic section my own high school took totally academic courses, including languages and advanced math.The kids in the commercial track took tough business and management courses, the industrial arts kids took more advanced shop classes and applied math. Our Aggies took some of each, including animal husbandry and business courses. Some overlap existed of course, such as English and history. Art and music were shared by all too. The kids who were border line retarded were in "special"or general classes. They usually went on to work in the local flower or mushroom industry.

[W. Gray]

Ross, has it always been your dream to attend college?

"The reality is far too many young people — especially those of color and those from low-income households — have a diploma in hand but lack the knowledge and skills needed to be successful for life beyond high school."

Was this you when you were young?

[Ross]

It was never intended that all students should go to college until college became a big business in the last 30 or so years. Only the top academic section my own high school took totally academic courses, including languages and advanced math.The kids in the commercial track took tough business and management courses, the industrial arts kids took more advanced shop classes and applied math. Our Aggies took some of each, including animal husbandry and business courses. Some overlap existed of course, such as English and history. Art and music were shared by all too. The kids who were border line retarded were in "special"or general classes. They usually went on to work in the local flower or mushroom industry.

It is not all about going to college Diane.
The article is about much more than just going to college.

Try re-reading! And read about lack the knowledge and skills needed to be successful for life beyond high school.

Try re-reading! And read about how even students said set higher academic standards.

Not everything has to be about college only.

[Ross]

Ross, has it always been your dream to attend college?

"The reality is far too many young people — especially those of color and those from low-income households — have a diploma in hand but lack the knowledge and skills needed to be successful for life beyond high school."

Was this you when you were young?

You really have a problem with telling people what they want don't you?

You don't have a clue about my life or my wants, desires or any thing else.

The articles on this thread are not about you or me or Diane.
.
I place the articles here for others to enjoy or use or think about of totally ignore

It is for those folks to make up their own minds as to the vlue of the article.

For your personal information, I have had a very successful and long life.
For 70 years i have faced plenty of adversity and managed through and I was succeful in my career choices.
And College was never one of my choices.

I have had and still have friends across the US of A and in other countries.
I have had my fair share of world travel and city living.

I have no regrets.

Let's not make this thread personally controversial!
Let's leave this thread for other people to do their own thinking.

Thank you!