The Observation Deck

Jeff Dreger said....

"As a parent of two Lakewood students, it concerns me that such outside interests are potentially meddling in my children's education."

Which is exactly why you should be concerned about Common Core. Bureaucrats in DC deciding what's "best" for parents and their children in towns like Lakewood. How hard is that to understand?

Jeff Dreger said....

"As a parent of two Lakewood students, it concerns me that such outside interests are potentially meddling in my children's education."

And while it's on my mind, I have another question. Who should determine what gets taught in government schools? The parents of the children who attend those schools, or the folks whose taxes pay for what takes place in those schools....

As for me, I think that taxpayers should have a big say in how government schools operate. Not just parents. If you want to determine how your child is educated, pay for it yourself. But that being said, I think what gets taught in schools should be determined locally, not in DC, like I alluded to above.

After a while one just gets tired of hearing that what others don't pay for is just not good enough....

You should just be happy if kids in schools actually read the books assigned and not the spark notes.

I mean, honestly, I bet there is a greater chance that kids will read a book if you tell them it's scandalous and makes adults tweak. The most excited I ever remember my English class being was when we had a banned book project. When you tell someone they can't do something, they are more likely to want to do it.

And it's so funny some of you think the government really controls the education system...really funny.

Tim, I don't recall saying or suggesting that I wasn't concerned about Common Core or standards in general. I and all parents (and all taxpayers) should be concerned. I have always been against so much high stakes standardized testing and I have always felt the state report cards were less than helpful or accurate to put it nicely. I have issues with nanny states as well as nanny citizens. However, to say that CC was only developed by bureaucrats in DC is not accurate. ("States across the country collaborated with teachers, researchers, and leading experts to design and develop the Common Core State Standards. Each state independently made the decision to adopt the Common Core State Standards, beginning in 2010. The federal government was NOT involved in the development of the standards. Local teachers, principals, and superintendents lead the implementation of the Common Core.") Also, while developing national standards is complicated and problematic, I do believe there is merit in trying to create a system that can evaluate and compare school/student/teacher performance from school to school and city to city and state to state. Just developing something locally in isolation would make any such evaluation impossible. Most taxpayers want more accountability in my experience. As upset as you appear to be, did you participate in the public feedback portion of its development? Did you then or have you since contacted the folks directly involved? You seem to suggest that I'm not a taxpayer or paying for my kids' education... I hope this is a misunderstanding. I pay for a great number of things with my tax dollars that I don't use and consequently don't feel I should have as much say in.

Jeff Dreger wrote:snipped... Each state independently made the decision to adopt the Common Core State Standards, beginning in 2010. The federal government was NOT involved in the development of the standards. Local teachers, principals, and superintendents lead the implementation of the Common Core."...

There is the little matter of billions of dollars of federal funds being made available to only those states that adopted such standards. I think you have to be more than a little naive to believe that local communities came together on their own to create this cabal. And I would be very surprised if an individual teacher was given the authority to substitute for any item because a parent objected.

Literature is an exercise in contemplating the human condition. It generally takes a while for a work of Literature to become the weight of Some Kind of Classic. These are historical works, and contemporary works that might have succeeded enough to become "Classic".

I am glad to see "Grapes of Wrath" on this shortest list.

The Canterbury Tales are on their short list. The Canterbury Tales are full of promiscuity, adultery, raunchy jokes, and lust-fuelled violence. This was the literature men of letters wrote for themselves when most of the population was illiterate. but...promiscuity, adultery, raunchy goings-on, and lust fuelled violence were common in that era. even though western Europe was most wholly Christian.

Candide is on their shortlist. That is Okay. Voltaire was a hero of the Founding Fathers. whoever they were. Candide is full of violence, rape, promiscuity, and overwhelming deliberations on the nature of Theology and God. Is it Stoic, or Epicurean, or Buddhist, or something else?

Common Core is an Professional Body. I am under the impression they can only issue recommendations in regard to Literature. There are tens of thousands or more of worthy works of Literature. I am glad to see Grapes of Wrath is on their short list. I did not notice any Hemingway on their shortest lists. As a professional body with some esoteric task of naming a few works on short lists, they should not be overly criticized.

If it makes you feel better, "Little House on the Prairie" is not on this shortest list. Little House on the Prairie is a tale of a lower class family chasing land grants and government homesteader subsidies in those rare days of accidently winding up with a depopulated half-continent rich in resources. "Little House of the Prairie" is an inspiration for socialist and progressive movements supporting big government through democracy.

Literature is a judgement call. Many years ago, I was in High School. The teacher assigned us to read and write a report on an author of Ohio Origins. I initially chose a book titled to Bob Hope in the 1940s or 50s. My teacher seemed chagrined at my choice, and refused to let me use this book. And so I chose a book by Roger Zelazny. It was "Eye of Cat" or "Roadmarks". and so, that is how I became a part time fan of Roger Zelazny. It was only years later that I discovered Bob Hope's books were written by a team of hired writers. Teachers require the latitude of Judgement. there is no realistic expectation it can be perfect. As a Professional body with no real authority or responsibility, Common Core must provide the most shortest and Simple lists in regard to literature. For the sake of Administrative and Professional clarity. There is no need to henpeck them.

If it makes you feel better, I chose Mr.T's autobiography and a biography of Jimmy Walker for black history month assignments. Rufus and The Man were not on the reading list! W.E.B. Dubois were not on the reading list!


The Bluest Eye is on a short list of recommendations that are not required. It is possible that reading and contemplating and discussing this book is a Learning Experience in School Districts where most of the students get pregnant as teenagers or end up in Prison. Learning is Hard! Human progress is Hard!

Jeff Dreger wrote:...
Each state independently made the decision to adopt the Common Core State Standards, beginning in 2010.
...

To back up Will's statement, I just heard, on Friday, one of Ohio's state reps say, point blank, Ohio had to accept Common Core because it took Federal grant funds a few years back. This rep, I don't recall his name, but I can look it up when I have more time, is investigating ways to give the grant money back to get out of Common Core.

I was also reminded of this...

Ronald Reagan, 1961 wrote:The foot in the door of education has been the $900 million National Defense Education Act of 1958. The excuse, once again, was the Cold War, Russia had put a Sputnik into the heavens, obviously something must be wrong with our education system.
...
The truth is there is not one shred of evidence has been presented that there is a necessity for any federal aid to our traditional local and state educational program. The aim, the aim alone is federal control. They deny this in proposing the legislation, but two and a half billion dollar program now that is advocated by the largest spending lobby in Washington D.C. But what do we hear in other utterances? The director of public education of the state of Washington spoke out in protest publicly against the problem of his state. For two years, in trying to fit itself to the rigid requirements of the director, the national director of education under the present act and he said this is federal control by indirection. All the more dangerous because it pretends to be a federal handout.
...
The former chairman of the president's youth fitness committee has said much as we would like to keep our traditional system of local management of the schools we can no longer afford it. We must, in order to meet Russia on equal terms, adopt a same kind of nationalized program they have. The Health, Education and Welfare Department has quadrupled its staff. It today is working to create a system of national curriculum and a set of national policies for education because they look forward to the day when we will have a federal school system. In short, the proponents of this measure believe that the only way we can properly educate our young, is to take the control of teachers and subjects and curriculum out of the hands of the parents and put it in the hands of a bureau in Washington, D.C.

For anyone who want more information the National PTA has a CCSSI (Common Core State Standards) Toolkit on their website.

http://www.pta.org/advocacy/content.cfm?ItemNumber=3552

actually, the Federal government spent lots of money getting k-12 school buildings built well before 1958.

Just FYI - The Diane Rehm Show on NPR had a good discussion that touched on some of these issues. The show just ended on 90.3 but in an hour or so the podcast should be available for streaming/download from here:

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013- ... -education

Just FYI - The Diane Rehm Show on NPR had a good discussion that touched on some of these issues. The show just ended on 90.3 but in an hour or so the podcast should be available for streaming/download from here:

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2013- ... -education

Politifact recently fact-checked claims about Common Core. They released their findings today:

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter ... standards/

Yes, I realize I'm dredging up a very old discussion thread, but I found something interesting you might want to listen to.

From http://www.lakewoodcityschools.com:

COMMON CORE INFORMATION MEETING SET FOR DEC. 4

Join the district's Director of Teacher & Learning, Roxann Ramsey-Caserio, for a presentation and discussion regarding the district's implementation of the Common Core State Standards on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 6 pm in the Garfield Cafetorium. Learn what the standards are and how they impact our students and teachers.

Check it out.

Jim posted a new thread so please share your thoughts at http://www.lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=12293.