Momma Bears
  • Blog
  • CHOOSE to REFUSE TESTING (OPT OUT)
    • #ChooseToRefuse
    • How to Refuse
    • Resources
    • For Students
    • Advocate!
    • Memes & Graphics
    • FAQ

Is this the best we can do?

12/23/2013

 
Momma Bears asked teachers:  
What do you like and dislike about common core?
Their answers were surprising:
  • "I like that students must think critically, but I've been doing that all along as any good teacher does."
  • "I don't like the never-ending testing.  It leaves less time to teach!"
  • "I like teaching math concepts in depth, but it frustrates and confuses some students and their parents." 
  • "I was happy to hear that standards would be deeper and fewer, but that isn't really the truth. There are more standards and they're just all packaged together."
  • "The writing assessments are way over my students' heads.  I've taught many grade levels and I know that these writing prompts would be appropriate for older students, but not the younger ones I'm teaching now."
  • "I'm having to ignore bad grammar, misspellings, and penmanship to prepare them for the common core writing assessments.  That bothers me as an English teacher."
  • "I like the idea of every child being on the same level, but that's impossible in real life.  Students are not all the same and they will never be."
  • "My students will be tested on the computer for writing assessments, but they don't know how to type.  We don't have enough computers for students either."
  • "I am worried about my SPED students.  I heard the new Common Core tests will be brutal for them, and they won't get any accommodations."
  • "I wish I could teach more literature instead of non-fiction.  I've had to cut great literature that my students used to love and give them non-fiction text that they should be learning in Science or Social Studies classes."
  • "The common core training was confusing.  The 2 Common Core leaders contradicted themselves and argued in front of us about what was correct under Common Core."
  • "I hate that my evaluation is tied to test scores.  We haven't transitioned to the Common Core tests yet, so my students are still tested on the old standards.  Which should I teach them: the standards they'll be tested on (and will make my evaluation score higher)? or the standards they will need for the future (but will net lower evaluation scores for me)?"
  • "I'm grateful that we are given freedom to develop our own lessons, but I've heard teachers in other districts are required to follow scripted lessons.  They can't go back and review if students aren't solid because they have to move on to the next lesson on the schedule.  I sure hope that doesn't happen in my district!"
  • "Every time I hear the word 'rigor' I feel sick.  Rigor is just another word for test, test, test."

With these valid concerns that teachers raise, plus the issues that Momma Bears has already written about regarding the testing and violation of student privacy that are inseparable with common core, Momma Bears wants to know:

Are common core standards really the BEST standards we can give our children?  
Picture
Sincere thanks to Paul Söderholm for granting us permission to use his artwork. (gnurf.net ~ paul@gnurf.net) Though he is from Finland, he perfectly captured the corporate influence on our American Education system.
Why are we required to keep these imperfect, unchangeable standards?  Why are our children required to take expensive, time-consuming, confusing tests on them?  Why aren't leaders listening to teachers???

Not the kind of Party you're thinking of

11/17/2013

 
We've heard it over and over...  Any opposition to *common core gets blamed on The Tea Party.  However, republican politicians blame cc opposition on "special interests" because they really need Tea Party support and don't want to burn any proverbial bridges with the party--those sly devils!  The reality is that common core is a bipartisan issue.  There are no sides of the fence to sling mud on because everyone is covered in it, courtesy of Bill Gates' money-pit.  

Picture
We have news for you:  The only Tea Party that we Momma Bears know of involves our daughters, some dolls, a few teddy bears, and a teapot.  We're not radical.  We're not political.  We're Moms.  

Now, to be honest, we've met some Tea Party people during this common core battle, and they're pretty nice people.  It is obvious they love America and are passionate about American rights.  Frankly, we wish more people were that way.  The level of apathy in most citizens is just plain sad.  It is much easier to just pretend it isn't happening, and let someone else deal with it.  But we Momma Bears can't ignore what is happening because it IS affecting our children.  We see it its negative effects right before our eyes.  We hear about it daily from other parents across the country, so we know it isn't just our community that is affected.  

Picture
Strange timing...
This blog has been in-the-works for the past few weeks, and, lo and behold, the U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, just happens to insult us moms as we were putting the finishing touches on this post.  Oh. No. He. Didn't...  Oh yes, he did!  He said the pushback to his beloved Common Corporate federal standards is coming from:


  “white suburban moms who — all of a sudden — their child isn’t as brilliant as they thought they were, and their school isn’t quite as good as they thought they were.”  


Yes, he really said that.  Aw, snap! That was the sound of intelligent, insulted parents across the country as their jaws hit the floor in disbelief that the U.S. Secretary of Education would throw our children (and us) under the bus like that.

We are opposed to common core, but not for the reason he claims.  Our children are just fine, thankyouverymuch.  Mommas know when fibbing is going on.  We know that data has been manipulated to make it appear that American students are behind other countries academically.  The truth is POVERTY in the USA is an undeniable factor on test scores.  If the test scores of children in poverty weren't included, the USA leads the world in high test scores.  And, unlike some countries, the USA tests every student in public school, rich or poor.  Just look at this article posted last week about the 11 perfect scores on this AP Calculus test.  All 11 students were from the USA.  The test was given in 59 countries.  BAM!  We bet those Mommas and teachers are proud of those kids!  And, to think, those students weren't raised with common core!

The nation who is "winning" the global education race is Finland - a country that does not have common core.  In fact, Finland doesn't even have standardized tests.  Finnish teachers are treated like rock stars and paid respectably.  Class sizes are small in Finland.  Oh, and Finland's poverty rate is less than 5%.  The USA poverty rate is between 20-25%.  Bingo.

The reality is that we Moms, Dads, teachers, principals, and even our elected officials are finding out that we've been duped.  We've been sold a lemon with common core.  The evidence is impossible to ignore.  After our children are tucked in bed at night, we Momma Bears research common core and education reform until our eyes hurt.   We email each other links and share them on facebook.  We contact our school boards and legislators with proof that these reforms are hurting our children and schools.  

The common denominator in all of this common core and reform-baloney is: MONEY.   Our children are profiting corporations and investors.  Momma Bears will tackle these greedy organizations in upcoming blogs.   Stay tuned!


        Next blog:  Pear$on Publi$hing in the U$A


Picture
*Dear English teachers & Grammar Nazis:     


Please note that "common core" is purposely not capitalized in our blog because we don't really think it is a Proper Noun.  Everyone knows that common things do not get capitalized.  It does not deserve the respect that capital letters imply.  And if the real owners of common core (whoever they are) want to sue us, then bring it on.  We just might sue them back, too, for taking spelling out of our children's education.
We may also affectionately refer to common core as:  corporate core, common core Federal standards, common crap, etc.  Of course, you are smart enough to know what we mean (and probably clever to come up with your own name for cc$$).

    Archives

    January 2021
    March 2020
    January 2020
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Momma Bears

    Just some moms who realize their children's public school systems in TN, as well as public schools across the country, have major threats to their survival.  We research, we write, we share, and we advocate.

    Categories

    All
    ASD
    Barber
    BATs
    Broad
    Candice McQueen
    Chamber Of Commerce
    Charter Corruption Series
    Charter Schools
    Common Core
    Consultants
    Cosmos
    Data
    Data Collection
    Documentary
    Duncan
    Education
    Event
    Faux Parents
    Finland
    Fordham Institute
    Gates
    Governor Haslam
    Governor Haslam
    Grassroots
    Gulen
    Huffman
    Inappropriate-book
    Inappropriate-common-core
    Inc.
    Knox County
    Knoxville
    Legislators
    Legislature
    Liar Liar Pants On Fire Series
    Lobbyists
    Mckinsey
    Nashville
    New Momma Bears
    Opting Out
    Parcc
    Pearson
    Petition
    Poppa Bear
    PR Firm
    Ravitch
    Refusing Tests
    Renaissance Learning
    Rocketship
    RTI2
    School Board
    Score
    SPED
    Student Privacy
    Students
    Studentsfirst
    Survey
    Tcap
    Tea
    Teacher Evaluations
    Teachers
    Teacher Survey
    Tennesseeans For Student Success
    Testing
    Textbooks
    Tndoe
    TNREADY
    TREE
    Treeroots
    Tripod
    TVAAS
    Virus
    Vouchers
    Walton

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photo used under Creative Commons from mrsdkrebs