Maybe I’ve been drinking too much of the seasonal eggnog.
Yesterday, I began to hear reports that Brian Bosma and David Long had decided to reject Common Core. Now, in the real world, that makes no sense–Indiana is well along the trajectory of implementing Common Core, some 75% of teachers endorse it, and most of the opposition comes from folks who automatically resist anything promoted by the federal government (because, you know, it’s being promoted by the federal government), and others who don’t know the difference between standards and curriculum.
Changing back to state-specific standards now will be very costly. So why would a couple of fiscal watchdogs who supported Common Core when Tony Bennett was in office take this sudden U-Turn?
Here’s where my eggnog addled conspiracy theory kicks in: Bosma and Long really, really want to extricate themselves from the no-win mess they’ve gotten themselves into over HJR6. They want to change that second sentence and kick that can down the road. But there’s Eric Miller, with his mega-church primary voters, and he needs to be appeased by winning something. There must be some bone to throw him. The media has turned up the heat on the negligent and/or abusive “Church ministries” daycare operations he’s intent upon protecting. So–let’s let him “win” the battle against those awful feds and their Common Core!
LIke I say, maybe it’s the eggnog.
Maybe it isn’t.
Sheila; it isn’t the eggnog, it is the rationalization of an intelligent former City government employee who knows how this process was properly administered in the past and who should be in charge of public education and where our tax dollars should be going. As for Bosma and Long trying to extracate themselves from a losing situation; hindsight is always 20/20 and Monday morning quarterbacking always sees what should have been done and who should be doing it.
Look at the front page of the Star today; side-by-side major articles, “Shaping a New Urban Vision” and “10K on Healthy Indiana in lurch”. Excellent examples of priorities within local government who refused Federal funds and health care programs (no need to remind your readers of the public education fiascoes of recent years) to basically “pretty up” an area of downtown. Granted, the pedestrian bridge is a safety issue but the money to be spent on other “improvements” could and should go into public education. This will never happen unless we fill Bosma, Long and others with that eggnog. I have a great recipe for homemade eggnog that calls for bourbon, brandy and rum; have mercy, it is delicious and might mellow these men out.
The changes to the so-called Healthy Indiana Plan need no explanation as to the harm it will do to those who depend on it which includes school age children. We depend on our leaders to follow the Indiana Constitution to provide education to all, including disabled students. But; we must add pro sports teams, sports arenas, “pretty up” downtown in case we do get that second Super Bowl and try to hide the homeless, needy, jobless and uneducated from tourists.
Makes sense to me–and I’ve yet to have my first cup of eggnog. You’re right, of course: there is a difference between standards and curriculum. Common Core sets standards; Indiana already has curriculum in place.
I wonder how many of our Elected Officials in the State Legislature could pass the High School ISTEP. Miller probably should not worry about reform of Church Daycare. One item to learn about the Bible Thumpers – Keep the Government out my Church Daycare, but let the Bible Thumpers decide who the Government will allow be married or Civil Unions.
Sheila, I truly think you give them too much credit. It’s like far simpler. Republicans very intentionally created the fake grassroots “Tea Party” as a weapon to use against Democrats, and are now terrified of their Frankenstein’s Monster. On the other hand, they still owe fealty to the traditional business interests of the Party, and those interests are against HJR6. So it’s less a well thought out conspiracy than a knee-jerk fear reaction where they don’t have their business end o the Party adding some steel to their spine to resist the assault.
Pardon my break from your main point. How exactly do we know that 75% of teachers support Common Core? A poll? Tell me how many folks working in a punitive and constantly threatening environment are honest when asked if they support what those higher than them support?
Liberals and conservatives have united against Common Core. Trying to make this into a fringe issue is completely inaccurate. If you want to know why educators might oppose Common Core, check out what Andrea Neal has written on the subject. Neal is hardly some whacky conservative.
The fact is Indiana was already known for having some of the best standards in the country. Common Core is a step down from those standards.
Paul, Andrea may not be “whacky”, but she’s definitely not a proponent of public education in Indiana. She was appointed by Governor Pence to push his agenda of defunding public schools so the taxpayers’ money can be diverted instead to major corporations.
I talk to educators all of the time and I have yet to come across someone who doesn’t prefer Common Core to the current standards. Yes, Indiana had strong ELA standards (can’t say that about the Math Standards), but the comparison is apples and organges. Making the argument that we already had what was considered strong standards is like saying we needed to keep a well-run pony express over stringing the telegraph wire. Right now 31% of Indiana graduates entering college need of remediation because they didn’t get what they needed in High School. The Common Core establishes claim/evidence and speaking/listening skills across disciplines that will ensure they are college and career ready. It allows more flexibility for educators to develop their students’ critical thinking skills. When I was in the classroom you’d be shocked how many little standards that are crammed into a single year, making learning a mile wide and an inch deep. Common Core simplifies the standards landscape for teachers so that they can do deeper dives into the content and practice the critical thinking skills needed in the 21st Century Economy.
Teacher Polls on Common Core: http://www.aft.org/newspubs/press/2013/050313.cfm http://neatoday.org/2013/09/12/nea-poll-majority-of-educators-support-the-common-core-state-standards/
Overall this strategy in IN is insane because of the threat to IN’s Federal Waiver to NCLB penalties. That waiver is contingent on IN adopting College and Career Ready Standards. Common Core is the only option that fulfills that requirement and spent the last 6 years with the consolidated effort of 45 states developing these standards. If we want to try and come with new standards by ourselves in less than a year, we’re kidding ourselves. Believe me we don’t want to open the can of worms with NCLB penalties.
Oh dear, Paul. Oh Dear, Oh Dear.
You just lost 25 points on the credability meter
<AHREF="http://www.salon.com/2013/12/04/common_core_yields_odd_political_allegiances_2/"Common Core standards yield odd political allegiances provides some great Mitch Daniels quotes on the topic.
I like this one: “That wonderful old line (is) that the problem with national standards is: Republicans don’t do ‘national’ and Democrats don’t do ‘standards,’” said Mitch Daniels, the president of Purdue University and former Republican governor of Indiana. “So the Common Core kind of gets it from both ends a little bit.”
<A HREF="http://www.salon.com/2013/12/04/common_core_yields_odd_political_allegiances_2/"Common Core standards yield odd political allegiances provides some great Mitch Daniels quotes on the topic.
I like this one: “That wonderful old line (is) that the problem with national standards is: Republicans don’t do ‘national’ and Democrats don’t do ‘standards,’” said Mitch Daniels, the president of Purdue University and former Republican governor of Indiana. “So the Common Core kind of gets it from both ends a little bit.”
<A HREF="http://www.salon.com/2013/12/04/common_core_yields_odd_political_allegiances_2/"Common Core standards yield odd political allegiances" provides some great Mitch Daniels quotes on the topic.
I like this one: “That wonderful old line (is) that the problem with national standards is: Republicans don’t do ‘national’ and Democrats don’t do ‘standards,’” said Mitch Daniels, the president of Purdue University and former Republican governor of Indiana. “So the Common Core kind of gets it from both ends a little bit.”
And here is some anti-Common Core narrative from education historian Diane Ravitch.
http://dianeravitch.net/category/common-core/. Ravitch was Assistant Secretary of Education under President Bush I.
My own skepticism of Common Core is more local. One of the authors of some of the Common Core standards is David Coleman, a New York businessman (NOT an educator, I don’t know if ANY of the Common Core standard writers are educators), who runs something called the College Board. Coleman is the chief financial backer of State Rep. Todd Huston (R-Fishers), who was chief of staff to Tony Bennett. Huston has also been hired away from his former job with the company that sold the state a useless multi-million dollar video system, to be vice-president of College Board.
When I see interconnections like that, I get suspicious. Follow the money.
I believe (as an educator) that the only reason for the common core vs Indiana standards debate is Bennnett lost the election.
The right to education says “free and appropriate education” not “free and appropriate college and career readying”. Let’s make sure we choose the best approach for our children because they are indeed children and not for the benefit of workforce development.
Matthew; today “appropriate education” requires college and career readying – this is the 21st Century when a high school graduate cannot get a job selling burgers and fries. Computer knowledge and technology alone requires advanced training in specialized fields for any adequate job requirements.