July 24, 2009
...Today (click here) we cross an important threshold in education reform. Today we are announcing the draft guidelines for states to apply for the $4.35 billion dollar Race to the Top fund. Today we are here to announce—and celebrate—a new Race to the Top in schoolhouses across America....
He provided an incentive for states to participate in funding that could IMPROVE their educational systems. An incentive. "Race to the Top" never dictated standards like Common Core does. It provided a venue to which states could evaluate their shortfalls and seek to change them. That is a reasonable place for the federal government to be.
I am sure he as well as President Obama endorse Common Core, but, it isn't endorsed as a imposed demand on schools.
Disclaimer: This is not meant to endorse one particular bill over an other. (click here)
And I think the states are handling it well.
The states are examining the standard and deciding whether or not they want to institute it. The states can tailor make their standards and apply them as needed.
What bothers me more and more about this thing called "Common Core" is it's mass application. If I wanted to corporatize education for Wall Street I'd be a big supporter of Common Core.
It isn't the place of the federal government to demand local school districts to COMPLY with a standard. It is the place for the federal government to do exactly what Secretary Duncan did and provide an opportunity for state educational departments to participate and find ways for local governments to bring improvements to their school systems.
Get for real. We are talking children. How is a federal standard ever going to 'trickle down' to being effective at the local level?
Children learn because their teachers care about them. They learn because they have parents that engage their local school boards when their children are struggling. When the local school boards are replaced by CEOs at charter schools and/or corporate educational companies the local school boards become meaningless.
As a standard, "Common Core" is fine for examination and application as every state and local school board reviews their CURRICULUM. But, to demand "Common Core" as the law of the land is hideous. No different than No Child Left Behind.
There was a study conducted comparing drop out rates in 1982 to 1992. The drop out rate fell by 50%. EXCEPT. For one group of students.This study was by the National Center for Education Statistics (click here).
This report (click here) examines the changing demographics of high school students over the last decade and investigates the impact these changes may have had on high school dropout rates. We show that while during the 1980s a growing number of students with characteristics traditionally associated with school failure began attending high school, at the same time, high school dropout rates decreased by almost 50 percent. These declines occurred among students with a variety of characteristics for minority and majority students, for students in intact families and non-intact families, and for students with children of their own living in their household. Many groups of students traditionally considered “at-risk” for school failure dropped out at lower rates in 1990 than in 1980. However, there were other groups of students whose dropout rates did not improve. These were students from poor families, who had histories of poor academic achievement, and who had multiple risk factors in their backgrounds. These students seem to have been left untouched by the factors that have led to lower overall dropout rates during the last 10 years.
The reason children do poorly in the USA educational system is because they don't have resources. It has absolutely nothing to do with teachers.
The USA educational system is built on PARTICIPATION. It is build on local school boards providing every advantage to the children of their town or city.
When I was being educated I was measured according to PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS set down by the people who educated the teachers. Did I make that clear?
"When I was (in my primary education) educated it was according to PROFESSIONAL standards set down by (the ethical) those that educated the teachers." In other words, teachers are professionals with knowledge of growth and development and at what age it is appropriate to teach children lessons in math, english, science and social skills. The PROFESSION of teachers knows these things. It is called TRUST and witnessing the effectiveness of our graduates that tells parents and educators they are 'spot on.'
I took two standard tests growing up. The PSAT and the SAT. I took each once, won a state scholarship and went to college.
The USA educational system, NO MATTER WHOM IS TEACHING IT OR HOW, falls apart when parents are not a part of it and there are no resources at the home. Why? Homework.
My father didn't necessarily understand the new math, but, he knew he could come to understand it enough to make sure I was applying my studies correctly. He 'was interested' in how my education was progressing and while he worked in a job that did not require a college degree, he was smart enough.
The USA adult population is falling further and further into an impoverished state, working more and more jobs to support what my Dad did with one job. When parents don't have time to 'participate' in their children's outcome, the outcome is not good. When parents aren't 'available' to provide supervision to their children, the children fall to a predatory social structure that uses them for it's own purpose.
The ONLY problem with the USA school system is poverty. Charter schools increase the poverty of educational systems and set students within them apart and superior to what the public educational system can provide.
Now.
Parents need good wages to support their families with upward movement WITHIN IN A 40 HOUR WORK WEEK, of which my family enjoyed, so there are parents available to participate in their children's education.
And.
The Public Education System needs to be REFUNDED to pull it out of poverty so it can actually educate every student EQUITABLY.
The USA is corporatized and the profits are amazing. But, the profits are at the cost of OUR COUNTRY'S brain trust and the quality of life of it's people.
It is so easy to be a savior of children. Now. Politicians need to be a better savior and rather than creating 'government schools' where money flows to corporations, they need to actually GOVERN!
...Today (click here) we cross an important threshold in education reform. Today we are announcing the draft guidelines for states to apply for the $4.35 billion dollar Race to the Top fund. Today we are here to announce—and celebrate—a new Race to the Top in schoolhouses across America....
He provided an incentive for states to participate in funding that could IMPROVE their educational systems. An incentive. "Race to the Top" never dictated standards like Common Core does. It provided a venue to which states could evaluate their shortfalls and seek to change them. That is a reasonable place for the federal government to be.
I am sure he as well as President Obama endorse Common Core, but, it isn't endorsed as a imposed demand on schools.
And I think the states are handling it well.
The states are examining the standard and deciding whether or not they want to institute it. The states can tailor make their standards and apply them as needed.
What bothers me more and more about this thing called "Common Core" is it's mass application. If I wanted to corporatize education for Wall Street I'd be a big supporter of Common Core.
It isn't the place of the federal government to demand local school districts to COMPLY with a standard. It is the place for the federal government to do exactly what Secretary Duncan did and provide an opportunity for state educational departments to participate and find ways for local governments to bring improvements to their school systems.
Get for real. We are talking children. How is a federal standard ever going to 'trickle down' to being effective at the local level?
Children learn because their teachers care about them. They learn because they have parents that engage their local school boards when their children are struggling. When the local school boards are replaced by CEOs at charter schools and/or corporate educational companies the local school boards become meaningless.
As a standard, "Common Core" is fine for examination and application as every state and local school board reviews their CURRICULUM. But, to demand "Common Core" as the law of the land is hideous. No different than No Child Left Behind.
There was a study conducted comparing drop out rates in 1982 to 1992. The drop out rate fell by 50%. EXCEPT. For one group of students.This study was by the National Center for Education Statistics (click here).
This report (click here) examines the changing demographics of high school students over the last decade and investigates the impact these changes may have had on high school dropout rates. We show that while during the 1980s a growing number of students with characteristics traditionally associated with school failure began attending high school, at the same time, high school dropout rates decreased by almost 50 percent. These declines occurred among students with a variety of characteristics for minority and majority students, for students in intact families and non-intact families, and for students with children of their own living in their household. Many groups of students traditionally considered “at-risk” for school failure dropped out at lower rates in 1990 than in 1980. However, there were other groups of students whose dropout rates did not improve. These were students from poor families, who had histories of poor academic achievement, and who had multiple risk factors in their backgrounds. These students seem to have been left untouched by the factors that have led to lower overall dropout rates during the last 10 years.
The reason children do poorly in the USA educational system is because they don't have resources. It has absolutely nothing to do with teachers.
The USA educational system is built on PARTICIPATION. It is build on local school boards providing every advantage to the children of their town or city.
When I was being educated I was measured according to PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS set down by the people who educated the teachers. Did I make that clear?
"When I was (in my primary education) educated it was according to PROFESSIONAL standards set down by (the ethical) those that educated the teachers." In other words, teachers are professionals with knowledge of growth and development and at what age it is appropriate to teach children lessons in math, english, science and social skills. The PROFESSION of teachers knows these things. It is called TRUST and witnessing the effectiveness of our graduates that tells parents and educators they are 'spot on.'
I took two standard tests growing up. The PSAT and the SAT. I took each once, won a state scholarship and went to college.
The USA educational system, NO MATTER WHOM IS TEACHING IT OR HOW, falls apart when parents are not a part of it and there are no resources at the home. Why? Homework.
My father didn't necessarily understand the new math, but, he knew he could come to understand it enough to make sure I was applying my studies correctly. He 'was interested' in how my education was progressing and while he worked in a job that did not require a college degree, he was smart enough.
The USA adult population is falling further and further into an impoverished state, working more and more jobs to support what my Dad did with one job. When parents don't have time to 'participate' in their children's outcome, the outcome is not good. When parents aren't 'available' to provide supervision to their children, the children fall to a predatory social structure that uses them for it's own purpose.
The ONLY problem with the USA school system is poverty. Charter schools increase the poverty of educational systems and set students within them apart and superior to what the public educational system can provide.
Now.
Parents need good wages to support their families with upward movement WITHIN IN A 40 HOUR WORK WEEK, of which my family enjoyed, so there are parents available to participate in their children's education.
And.
The Public Education System needs to be REFUNDED to pull it out of poverty so it can actually educate every student EQUITABLY.
The USA is corporatized and the profits are amazing. But, the profits are at the cost of OUR COUNTRY'S brain trust and the quality of life of it's people.
It is so easy to be a savior of children. Now. Politicians need to be a better savior and rather than creating 'government schools' where money flows to corporations, they need to actually GOVERN!
