EDITOR'S NOTE: The implementation of "Common Core" is an issue that is causing great concern both in Idaho and around the nation. The following content was provided by a reliable source who wished to remain anonymous. Please help us to expose the dangers of Common Core by sending accounts of your own experiences to info@gstp.org or by commenting on this post. Thank you.
I just got a first-hand, super-dose of the Common Core. This is my fifth year substitute teaching in the Boise School District. For two days last week I taught in a Boise elementary school that is implementing the Federal Common Core Curriculum. It was horrible! I have taught in this school before, but I don't remember it being like this, until more recent years. I couldn't believe the way they micro-managed every move the kids made, even on the playground. The principle was "marching" up and down the halls like a little general. And the way they had taught the kids math was absurd!
Ordinarily when I get to a school there is a half-page or page describing the assignments of the day. When I got to this school, there were 8 pages of instructional and disciplinary minutia the teacher left for me to assimilate in the 25 minutes I had to prepare before class! I don't know if the teacher intended for me to keep it, but for some reason I kept the 8 pages. It was written by that teacher, so I don't think it is the universal document for all of the teachers. It's more the uniformity of attitude. Because the second day I was there, my room had a joint project with the room next door, and that teacher treated her students in an almost identical, cookie-cutter way. The strange thing about it was, when I stood next to the teacher and looked into her eyes as we talked, she seemed very pressured and exhausted; not at all like the teacher who enjoys her kids and her job.
Another odd thing is that a month ago I subbed a couple of times for the playground people, and even their methods seemed extraordinarily strict. The kids could not be kids and push and shove in a friendly, playful way like they normally do. "This is a hands-off school." I felt like a prison guard. I'm no analyst; this is just the sense I got during the four recent times I was there. On the way home I vowed never to work at that school again. Then when I got home, I found the videos…
A few other comments on the teacher's 8 pages:
It is not that there was something inherently wrong with absolutely everything this teacher said in these pages. But to me it seemed like being a busy body, endeavoring to control every move of another human being, not encouraging or even allowing for the students, or me as a substitute teacher, to exercise individual thought or personal responsibility.
A second way I felt that individual thought and personal responsibility was suppressed was in the way the room was set up. The desks were grouped in three's or four's making the collective opinion and action more desirable/acceptable than the individual's.
The very long opening paragraph on "Classroom rules on bathroom" typified the tone of the whole paper. The penalty for violation of those rules, or the rules for sharpening a pencil, drinks, hats, etc., was an array of pulling their cards, writing reflection sheets, team points and an elaborate "You Owe Me" banking system.
There was nearly a whole page listing paragraphs of details on "Students to watch out for." I hadn't even met them yet, and I was being influenced to see them in a bad light. To me marking all these students as troublemakers was a form of profiling. What followed was an extensive list of "IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS," from the principal to the custodian. It intimated the belief that "It Takes a Village" to get this classroom of kids through a day. As a matter of fact, when a few kids were acting up, the mob rule consensus was, "Send them to the principal!" I said, "No, we're going to deal with this ourselves," I taught them to apologize, forgive, be restored as friends, and move on without condemnation and punishment.
My rules were: "If I am talking, you are not. If you want to talk, raise your hand, I will recognize you, and you will be the only one talking, because we will not. If you misbehave, I write your name on the board, and your future good behavior earns you the right to erase your own name. The consequences of future misbehavior will be determined case by case." We had a pleasant respectful time, and they enjoyed being in control of themselves.
I have a sister-in-law, who is a neurologist/psychiatrist, and a native of Poland. Because of some regulations, she had to repeat medical school when she came to the United States, in order to practice medicine here. But it was worth it to her, because she wanted to live in America, where she could be free. This is what she emailed me when I told her about my exposure to the Common Core. (You'll have to imagine the Polish accent for yourself.)
"Common Core is nothing new to me because that is exactly what I had in Poland during the Socialism. I was amazed when I came to the USA and experienced such a positive change with the regards to education, health care, banking system and free market economy (named just a few). It is very frustrating to see what is going on in the USA right now, a flashback and stepping backwards instead of continuing what has been working well for 'the people.' "
I found out this week, from a teacher in another school, that the above-mentioned school, Whitney Elementary, is the pilot school in Boise for the Federal Common Core Curriculum. She said that many Boise schools have started implementing Common Core already. Although I didn't know what it was called all along, I have seen the change happening. I had seven 4th-graders that day, using the "new math," who couldn't figure out 2nd-grade problems.
Teachers are being trained to put Common Core into full swing beginning this upcoming 2013-2014 school year. Materials have already been sent to the schools. Many of the teachers don't want this. Many more are retiring because they would rather do that than teach Common Core.
I've read about Common Core before, and have been concerned. But this experience "inspired" me to take a deeper look. I went on Youtube, and lo and behold there was a quote from Idaho's own Tom Luna on Glenn Beck. Here's the link to that, another one of his, and one that gives an excellent question & answer session on the historical and other details of the Common Core.
Common Core was not voted in by the Idaho State Legislators, who represent the will of the people. It is not too late. These are our schools and these are our children, but we have to TAKE ACTION NOW to stop the Common Core.
I just got a first-hand, super-dose of the Common Core. This is my fifth year substitute teaching in the Boise School District. For two days last week I taught in a Boise elementary school that is implementing the Federal Common Core Curriculum. It was horrible! I have taught in this school before, but I don't remember it being like this, until more recent years. I couldn't believe the way they micro-managed every move the kids made, even on the playground. The principle was "marching" up and down the halls like a little general. And the way they had taught the kids math was absurd!
Ordinarily when I get to a school there is a half-page or page describing the assignments of the day. When I got to this school, there were 8 pages of instructional and disciplinary minutia the teacher left for me to assimilate in the 25 minutes I had to prepare before class! I don't know if the teacher intended for me to keep it, but for some reason I kept the 8 pages. It was written by that teacher, so I don't think it is the universal document for all of the teachers. It's more the uniformity of attitude. Because the second day I was there, my room had a joint project with the room next door, and that teacher treated her students in an almost identical, cookie-cutter way. The strange thing about it was, when I stood next to the teacher and looked into her eyes as we talked, she seemed very pressured and exhausted; not at all like the teacher who enjoys her kids and her job.
Another odd thing is that a month ago I subbed a couple of times for the playground people, and even their methods seemed extraordinarily strict. The kids could not be kids and push and shove in a friendly, playful way like they normally do. "This is a hands-off school." I felt like a prison guard. I'm no analyst; this is just the sense I got during the four recent times I was there. On the way home I vowed never to work at that school again. Then when I got home, I found the videos…
A few other comments on the teacher's 8 pages:
It is not that there was something inherently wrong with absolutely everything this teacher said in these pages. But to me it seemed like being a busy body, endeavoring to control every move of another human being, not encouraging or even allowing for the students, or me as a substitute teacher, to exercise individual thought or personal responsibility.
A second way I felt that individual thought and personal responsibility was suppressed was in the way the room was set up. The desks were grouped in three's or four's making the collective opinion and action more desirable/acceptable than the individual's.
The very long opening paragraph on "Classroom rules on bathroom" typified the tone of the whole paper. The penalty for violation of those rules, or the rules for sharpening a pencil, drinks, hats, etc., was an array of pulling their cards, writing reflection sheets, team points and an elaborate "You Owe Me" banking system.
There was nearly a whole page listing paragraphs of details on "Students to watch out for." I hadn't even met them yet, and I was being influenced to see them in a bad light. To me marking all these students as troublemakers was a form of profiling. What followed was an extensive list of "IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS," from the principal to the custodian. It intimated the belief that "It Takes a Village" to get this classroom of kids through a day. As a matter of fact, when a few kids were acting up, the mob rule consensus was, "Send them to the principal!" I said, "No, we're going to deal with this ourselves," I taught them to apologize, forgive, be restored as friends, and move on without condemnation and punishment.
My rules were: "If I am talking, you are not. If you want to talk, raise your hand, I will recognize you, and you will be the only one talking, because we will not. If you misbehave, I write your name on the board, and your future good behavior earns you the right to erase your own name. The consequences of future misbehavior will be determined case by case." We had a pleasant respectful time, and they enjoyed being in control of themselves.
I have a sister-in-law, who is a neurologist/psychiatrist, and a native of Poland. Because of some regulations, she had to repeat medical school when she came to the United States, in order to practice medicine here. But it was worth it to her, because she wanted to live in America, where she could be free. This is what she emailed me when I told her about my exposure to the Common Core. (You'll have to imagine the Polish accent for yourself.)
"Common Core is nothing new to me because that is exactly what I had in Poland during the Socialism. I was amazed when I came to the USA and experienced such a positive change with the regards to education, health care, banking system and free market economy (named just a few). It is very frustrating to see what is going on in the USA right now, a flashback and stepping backwards instead of continuing what has been working well for 'the people.' "
I found out this week, from a teacher in another school, that the above-mentioned school, Whitney Elementary, is the pilot school in Boise for the Federal Common Core Curriculum. She said that many Boise schools have started implementing Common Core already. Although I didn't know what it was called all along, I have seen the change happening. I had seven 4th-graders that day, using the "new math," who couldn't figure out 2nd-grade problems.
Teachers are being trained to put Common Core into full swing beginning this upcoming 2013-2014 school year. Materials have already been sent to the schools. Many of the teachers don't want this. Many more are retiring because they would rather do that than teach Common Core.
I've read about Common Core before, and have been concerned. But this experience "inspired" me to take a deeper look. I went on Youtube, and lo and behold there was a quote from Idaho's own Tom Luna on Glenn Beck. Here's the link to that, another one of his, and one that gives an excellent question & answer session on the historical and other details of the Common Core.
- Common Core - Glenn Beck
- The Danger Of Common Core - Glenn Beck (March 15, 2013)
- Missouri Coalition Against Common Core
Common Core was not voted in by the Idaho State Legislators, who represent the will of the people. It is not too late. These are our schools and these are our children, but we have to TAKE ACTION NOW to stop the Common Core.
Our education system needs to return to the basics, just like a football team needs to teach basics when the plays fall apart. Basics include the most fundamental building blocks that our intellect needs to move forward and up. Math is not only a way to manipulate numbers, it is the first lesson in problem solving. When we rely on a machine to do this we are not learning the necessary problem solving and it is an essential building block. Calculator math and feel good English are the basics we need to stop teaching. Multiplication tables, rules of grammar and punctuation, handwriting and composition, spelling and etiquette in writing. These are basics that are not taught and in my years in the high tech fields I can tell you that the quality of talent I see now graduating from college is not what I saw 20 years ago, and it stems from not learning the basics.
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