Common Core Forum
Please participate. Ask your questions, they need to be heard.
Common Core Forum
The chairs of the Senate and House Education Committees, Senator John
Goedde and Representative Reed DeMordaunt, announced today their plans
to bring Idahoans together for a serious discussion on Common Core.“In an effort to be transparent, we want to allow the public to share
questions and concerns regarding Idaho Common Core,” Senator Goedde
explained.The Forum will take place on Wednesday, January 22, 2014 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Lincoln Auditorium in the Senate West Wing (WW02) of the State Capitol.
Participants must submit their questions in advance. Questions are to be
emailed or sent to the House Education Secretary. Email address: hedu@house.idaho.gov Physical address: EW49, Routing Code 38, State Capitol, Boise, ID 83720-0038All questions must be submitted by Friday, January 17, 2014 at 5:00 p.m.
Chairman DeMordaunt said, “It is critical that questions regarding the
Idaho Common Core are submitted in advance so that they can be
thoroughly researched.”A formal panel of educators, Department of Education personnel and
others, both proponents and opponents, will be a part of the panel and
the research process. They, in turn, will then prepare answers
regarding the Idaho Common Core Standards.The Forum will be structured so that the audience can see every question
presented on a screen and then those questions will be answered by the
panelists. No questions will be taken from the audience on the day of
the Common Core Forum. However, the Forum proceedings will be available
via the IPTV website at www.idahoptv.org (click on Legislature Live) or directly at www.idahoptv.org/leglive.
I sent the following questions into the forum. I cannot wait to hear the response.
1.) Numerous studies have proven that the most important factor of a quality education is a quality teacher. Not a single study suggests that a child’s education is improved by a standardized test. With this in mind, why is the legislature and State Department of Education spending over $20 million dollars on the development and training for Common Core and a new standardized test instead of increasing teacher salaries to retain effective teachers?
2.) A recent report by KTVB shared that both large and small districts in Idaho are facing budget crisis’ as operational budgets are down almost 22% since 2009. At the school where I teach, the Govt. textbooks are from 1996, the Language Arts department does not have enough books for all the students, the Science department has quit using books because they are so outdated, and the supply budget is already gone, leaving teachers without materials that promote student creativity and collaboration. Why is there a commitment to fund Common Core instead of funding basic educational resources?
3.) Supporters of Common Core say that CCSS and the SBAC will allow us to compare schools and to hold districts and schools accountable. What is meant by that and to who are they accountable?
4.) Supporters of Common Core say the standards are needed to increase PISA scores. They point to the fact that, according to the PISA test, the U.S. currently ranks 31st in Math, 21st in Reading, and 20th in Science. Meanwhile, Shangai scored 1st in all three areas. Despite being first, China is unhappy with their system of national standards and standardized testing, seeing that their students lack creativity and innovation. Why are we moving towards the system that China admits is ineffective in preparing students for global competitiveness?
5.) While US standardized tests scores fall, we continue to lead the world in patents, copyrights, and innovation. These three items are essential characteristics of individuality. Standardized tests inherently force students into conformity as one must answer a question like everybody else in order to get the question right. How will the adoption of Common Core and the SBAC preserve student individuality and promote creativity and innovation?