Are the affects of Common Core starting to impact your child?
Are you starting to question what the Common Core Standards are and who wrote them?
It is worth every ounce of your time to find out what is happening to the schools across our nation. It is worth every ounce of your time to dig below the surface and research for yourself. There is a lot of rhetoric out there. Those with a lot of money pushing for the common core and the high stakes tests have the money to produce nice sound bites and videos to paint the common core and the tests in a good light.
Recently, Ready Washington, posted a contest to high school aged children to produce a video why they “Opt In”. If their video wins they are awarded $500.00. The background music played, the filming professional, and…
I gagged.
Seriously? The only way to be successful in the future is to take a test? Not one student featured in the video said one thing about how taking the test enhanced their learning.
Common Core >< High Stakes Tests
Interconnected.
I often hear educators say, “I don’t have a problem with common core, it is the testing I am against.”
The two are not separate.
As more educators and parents learn of the link between the two, the light bulb goes on and the truth shines brighter. This is a complete overhaul of the education system and the education profession. Those who have been big players in promoting it, pushing it into the schools on to other people’s children, opt their own children out.
Does this raise a red flag?
Common Core Standards put learning into a Box.
The Common Core Tests only measure what fits inside that same Box.
For me, I desire for our children to think outside The Box. I promote the use of imagination, innovation, creativity, and curiosity. These four words don’t fit inside any box. These four words can not be measured by a test.
Think about it.
Do we want a society of standardized people who all think alike and can regurgitate text and facts all at the same time?
A cookie cutter society.
Or…
Do we want a society of individuals who are able to think outside the box?
Divergent Thinkers.
If it is the latter, opt your child out of the common core tests and send a clear message you will not subject them to The Box.
In order to counter the propaganda coming from Gates funded groups like Ready Washington, there are many of us without the billion dollar backing speaking out against common core and the high stakes tests. It’s called, “We the people…”
The Grassroots Divergent Thinkers.
Listen in as Cindy Ann Goodbrake, Idaho parent, and myself, Spokane, Washington educator and parent, speak courageously against common core and why Opting Out is the best thing you can do for your child and our schools.
Go To: March 9, 2016 – Common Core – Part Two
Be Divergent.
Opt Out.
Passionately Submitted,
RAZ ON FIRE
IGNITE! ... Fire is Catching 
With regard to the math (CCSSM) I have to disagree. It may be that the tests were designed to test the common core math but they don’t. The core of CCSSM is the SMP (Standards for Mathematical Practice), which are excellent and untestable. So definitely OPT OUT of the math tests for that reason alone (there are many other good reasons.
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Hi Howard. Thank you for sharing your perspective. I’ve been reviewing the standards themselves in which I still have issues with. The mathematical practices are fine throughout the grade levels as we fill our classrooms with engaging, authentic, and contextual experiences focused upon students making sense of mathematics. I do not think children can be boxed in at any grade level, rather they learn along continuums as they are challenged within their own learning pace. The problem with the standards are it limits children to grade levels. Some are ready, some are beyond, and some are not ready and need more instructional experience. It does not mean they are “failing”. This is what the tests do to label children. I also have enjoyed reading the following reports:
https://deyproject.org/2015/05/13/constance-kamiis-critical-look-at-the-k-3-common-core-state-standards-for-math/
http://yournewswire.com/top-scholar-says-common-core-math-is-making-our-children-really-dumb/
There are also many speeches by Dr. James Milgram who was the only mathematics specialist on the common core validation committee. He refused to validate the CCSSM (Common Core State Standards Math) for varying reasons. Listening to him is enlightening. I myself do find issues with the standards themselves as I work with K – 6 children.
Appreciate hearing your perspective, Howard!
Raz
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Thanks for your reply. I really appreciate it. One of the puzzles in the K-6 part of CCSSM is the term “algebraic thinking”, which appears at the head of every section on Number, but is nowhere elucudated or developed. Bizarre !. Another thing that I was concerned about is the “properties of operations” obsession. I looked for a list of the properties of the subtraction operation – nothing ! and nothing for division either. I you haven’t done so already have a poke round my posts on the Common Core. In idle speculative moments I think that if I had an apple with as big a core as the CCSSM there wouldn’t be much apple to eat.
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