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Verdict Is Out

Does Common Core really advance education, or does it hinder learning for kids?

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in other states that are reaching higher to
ensure students are prepared — and CCSS
provide those rigorous expectations. We
want all children — and all teachers — to
benefit from the opportunities that com-
mon standards provide, things like better
textbooks and online learning materials
and the many resources that are being
developed and shared by teachers through-
out the country:'
State Rep. Ellen Cogen Lipton,
D-Huntington Woods, said CCSS began as
an effort through the National Governor's
Association and is heavily funded through
private foundations — most notably the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which
contributed $200 million.
"States were offered federal incen-
tives to join one of two testing consortia:'
she said. "Michigan joined the Smarter
Balanced Assessment Consortium in 2009.
This was done through the State Board
[of Education] and the MDE [Michigan
Department of Education], not via the
legislature:'
Lipton said she is skeptical of CCSS "and
its heavy emphasis on high-stakes, stan-
dardized testing and the lack of educators
in creating the standards.
"Corporations and corporate philanthro-
pists see the enormous profit potential in
creating a unified set of standards and a
test (and test prep materials, etc.) that goes
along with it:' she said.
"The corporate reformers see education
as nothing more than a simple transfer
of knowledge and subsequent test score
to measure accountability. Public educa-
tion, of course, is so much more than that.
Educators understand this, but very few
were involved in the creation of the CCSS:"
There is no way for Michigan to opt out
of the CCSS program unless it wants to lose
the $521 million of a $13.8 billion national
pot in Title I funding from the federal gov-
ernment's No Child Left Behind Act.
"A state's receipt of federal dollars is
contingent, in part, upon adoption of the
CCSS and a test to measure 'proficiency:"
she said. "The only option is for the U.S.
Department of Education to grant a flex-
ibility waiver under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act. This can happen
on a state-by-state basis. The debate is far
from over as states continue to exit the
consortia and seek waivers from the federal
government. However, no state has been
willing to risk its Title I dollars:'

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An example of a Common Core math
problem ridiculed by a parent

Criticism Of CCSS
Adopted by the Michigan State Board of
Education in 2010 and implemented last
year, CCSS has been under a wide rage of
criticism.
Some say it is the federal government
takeover of the local public school system;
that the curriculum is too difficult for the
younger students but too easy for the older
students; that the curriculum was written
without input from actual teachers, and
does not actually teach students as much as
it prepares them for standardized tests; and
that although CCSS might try to improve
the No Child Left Behind program, neither
program allows teachers to actually "teach"
students.
It is one of the few subjects that Tea
Party advocates, like Glenn Beck and
Michele Malkin, have in common with
teacher unions, Democratic legislators and
philosophy professors.
Marcie Lipsitt has been a lay advocate
in education for years and is in favor of
national standards in education, but not
the way that CCSS is perceived.
"My core belief is that our children can-
not be the property of 14,000-plus school
districts in Michigan:' she said. "They are
America's kids and they have to be edu-
cated equally in order to compete across
America and across global nations.
"The problem with CCSS is that it was
not designed by academia. It was not
designed by our nation's best in educational
sciences. It is being driven by corporate
America for all the wrong reasons," said
Lipsitt, citing the Pearson Corporation, an
education company that supplies educa-
tional curricula around the world and has

developed the CCSS curriculum.
mented, a student who graduates from a
"The CCSS, private money and public
high school in any one of these states —
education are not serving the children. It's
who is performing at standard — will be
incongruent. When I look at the private
ready to attend and succeed in his or her
money from the really big philanthropists
state university without remedial educa-
— Bill and Melinda Gates, Edyth and Eli
tion:' he said.
"Historically, in far too many communi-
Broad, Mark Zuckerberg and the Koch
brothers — they are all, no matter what
ties, more than half of those who actually
their politics are, what I call toxic philan-
graduated from high school needed reme-
dial help in college:'
thropy. Letting the 1 percent control how
Ericka Lipman, mother of three children
we educate children in America is not serv-
ing children and America:'
(Ryan, 12, and twins Austin and Haley, 8),
Lipsitt said CCSS expects too much from said that CCSS began in the Walled Lake
younger students.
School district last year. She said all her
"The notion that all
children love to learn.
children are born with
"The teachers go above
exceptionally developed
and beyond in teaching," said
higher-level thinking skills
Lipman, a speech pathologist.
in elementary school is
"But they are forced to follow
outrageous, especially since
certain guidelines. They have
research tells us that our
to spend extra time and effort
executive functions are not
to learn how to teach it"
fully functioning until we're
Lipman said her kids are
in our mid-20s," she said.
adjusting well to the home-
"That is the problem with
work, but "Ryan says he's sick
the history and the English
of solving everybody else's
lessons. It expects children
problems:'
to make these very early text Rep. Ellen L ipton
A Teacher's View
connections that require
high-level thinking skills —
Meredith Summer has been
an elementary school teacher
the interpretation of text —
that are not in place.
for 16 years and chose her pro-
"We need national stan-
fession because she "wanted
to make a difference in my
dards; we need to overhaul
teacher preparation in
students' lives the way my
America, but not by corpo-
teachers did for me:' she said.
rate America or by toxic phi-
"The best teachers I had were
lanthropists:' she said.
creative and inspired me to
In a speech at the
want to learn. I want to do that
Marcie Lips itt
American Society of News
for my students:'
Editors Annual Convention
Summer said CCSS is just
in 2013, Department of
another form of No Child Left
Education Secretary Arne
Behind, a test-based curricu-
lum.
Duncan touted Common
Core standards.
"Teaching to a test narrows
"The problem is a lot of
the curriculum down so that
children, in a lot of places in
there are no opportunities
for 'teachable moments' or
America, have not been get-
ting a world-class education.
creativity:' said Summer, who
But rather than recognize
teaches in a Detroit public
that, for far too long, our
school. "The standards are
Meredith Su mmer
school systems lied to kids,
too high for K-3, and then are
to families and to communi-
too low for the upper grades.
ties:' he said, "they said the
It causes students to feel
kids were all right — that they were on
defeated early on.
"For instance, kindergarteners are
track to being successful — when in reality
they were not even close. What made those expected to be able to take tests on a com-
soothing lies possible were low standards
puter, which means they need to be able to
for learning:'
read and know how to work the computer
Common Core could level the playing
at a very young age. Some of the questions
field, he said.
"When these standards are fully imple-
Verdict on page 34

August 21 • 2014

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