If the CCSS Had Been Around When I Was In School...

My friend and fellow Alabama educator, Jenny Moon, posted this on her Facebook wall yesterday, and I asked if I could repost it on my blog.  Very powerful message, one many need to hear.

If Common Core Standards Had Been Adopted When I Was in Elementary School…..

written by Jenny Moon,  Alabama Educator

I started thinking about what my parents would have done if Common Core Standards had been adopted when I was in Elementary School. I know my dad would have said, “You do what your teacher says.” You see I was raised in a time when teachers were respected by parents and the community. I was raised by hard working, middle class parents. My dad worked at Republic Steel and my mother worked with my grandmother at West Gadsden Cafe. My dad would have never questioned the integrity of the teachers or the school system.

I can remember a time when my dad worked second shift at the Steel Plant and helped paint (the outside) Elliott Elementary School in the mornings before he went to work. Could you see parents doing that now? I can’t.

When I was in Fourth Grade, guess what happened to education? NEW MATH! How many of you remember that. I can remember my dad saying he wasn’t sure he could help me, but he did. He supported the school and the school system. West Gadsden Cafe had many customers that were educators. My dad knew them and he knew they gave their all to the students in this community.

When did the teachers and school system lose the respect of the community? I guess it as a slow process. But whenever it happened, it was a sad day for children everywhere.

I would like to challenge everyone in this community to rally behind your teachers and school system. Let’s all work to make education in Gadsden and Alabama the best this nation has to offer! You have heard the saying, IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD? Well it takes a community to education the children in this community. I am challenging the citizens of Gadsden to rally behind teachers and the school system to educate our children, ALL OF OUR CHILDREN.

Will you join me?

Reaction to Beason's "Common Core " Bill - Larry Lee

Education Matters

By Larry Lee

In the 1985 movie classic, Back to the Future, Marty McFly was inadvertently sent back in time by Doc Brown’s time machine.

It now appears that State Senator Scott Beason has his own time machine and is hoping to send Alabama public school students and teachers back to 1999.  Beason has introduced SB 380 which calls for the repeal of the new Alabama College & Career Ready standards and replace them with standards adopted in 1999.

It’s all about some of the hysteria whipped up by those who want us to believe that the new standards are somehow part of a master national plan to subvert young minds.  And it once again shows that some elected officials are far more interested in politics than they are in education.

As best I can determine from visiting schools, talking to teachers and principals and school superintendents; the standards are largely hailed as what our kids need to compete in today’s world.

A Baldwin County teacher told me, “In the past, we’ve been teaching a mile wide and an inch deep.  At the end of the year you knew you really had not given your students mastery of certain concepts, nor helped them to think deeply.  But now we’ve narrowed the focus and are going much more in depth.  This is allowing our kids to really understand what we’re trying to teach them.”

To get to this point school systems have invested tremendous amounts of time and effort into professional development for teachers.  They’ve invested substantial revenue into getting ready to implement the new standards.

But what do educators know when it comes to education?  Why should we be concerned about wasting money or telling teachers to forget about the two years of work they’ve just spent learning how to be better instructors when a few votes are involved?

So let’s roll back the clock 15 years for our school kids.  Let’s go back to 1999 when gas was $1.22 a gallon.  A few weeks ago the Talladega County school system was nationally featured in a meeting at the Library of Congress where they spoke about their computer-based teaching programs.

Let’s tell Talladega County to toss out the classroom computers in use now since they were not around in 1999.  Let’s pass a law outlawing all text messages since “texting” was virtually unknown in 1999.  And don’t forget to tell all the school systems that have invested in various one-on-one computer projects to take those devices to the dumpster.

I’m sure Governor Bentley is looking forward to holding a press conference to announce that we are looking backwards in Alabama, rather than forward.  I’m sure Airbus will be delighted to get this news.

No doubt Greg Canfield with the Commerce Department will soon send letters to companies considering locating in Alabama explaining that if they want a work force prepared to compete in today’s global economy they should look elsewhere.

Who knows we may even want to send a letter to Mercedes telling them that from now on they should only use their 1999 training methods to prepare employees to work on cars being built in 2014.

Remington has just announced that they will put a major manufacturing facility in Huntsville.  How excited will the managers who move to Alabama be when they learn their kids will go to schools that use outdated standards?

Maybe we can redo the welcome to Alabama billboards to say, “Welcome to Alabama where the future is 15 years ago.”

The teachers I know have every confidence in the ability of our students to compete with other students across this country.  All they want is the chance to give them this opportunity.  That’s why so many of them have invested so much time and effort into preparation for the last few years.

They don’t want to go back to 1999.  They know that if we do we are putting our kids at a huge disadvantage.  But hey, why should it matter that students in Georgia or North Carolina or Ohio are being better prepared as long as you can round up a few more votes?

What difference does it make that we’re sending the wrong message to the world when it might help me get re-elected?

Larry Lee led the study, Lessons Learned from Rural Schools, and is a long-time advocate for public education and frequently writes about education issues.  larrylee33@knology.net

Scratching My Head about Common Core by Larry Lee

Education Matters

By Larry Lee

Pardon me while I scratch my head, but I’m still confused as to what all the “common core” talk is about.

And if the truth be known I suspect the vast majority of Alabamians don’t know common core from apple core.  Still, this doesn’t stop the mention of it from stirring passion in some, especially the well-meaning folks who call themselves Tea Party types.

One reason I’m confused is because I don’t know which Republican to believe.

John Legg is a Republican state senator who chairs the Florida Senate Education committee, a former teacher and lives near Tampa.  A few months ago he wrote an article Why Conservatives Support Common Core State Standards.

He said, “The movement to Common Core asserts higher-order thinking across the disciplines and concepts, which will yield a higher quality of comprehension for students, ensuring they are prepared for college, the workforce or to become a business owner/job creator.  Common Core is a set of academic standards and does not pose an identity or security risk to students.”

On the other hand our own Republican state senator Scott Beason spoke a few days ago to an anti-Common Core rally in Montgomery.  He read his fifth-grade daughter’s reading assignment about the benefits of hybrid cars and called it an example of socialist indoctrination since the implication was that hybrid cars do not cause as much pollution as ones with internal combustion engines.

(Wow, my sister has a hybrid vehicle.  Did not know she was a socialist.  She may be the only one to ever graduate from Auburn University.)

Two Republican state senators.  One supports Common Core, one doesn’t.  Which one should I believe?

At this point, trying to sort through my confusion I did what I usually do when it comes to education issues—I went to the experts.  In this case, school superintendents, principals and teachers who are largely being ignored in this debate.  I doubt that, unlike Senator

Beason, they are experts on hybrid cars and socialism, but I do think they know a lot about education.

They quickly got me to understand that Common Core refers to standards—not curriculum.  I also learned that Alabama used the Common Core, adjusted them to fit Alabama students and adopted the Alabama College & Career Ready standards.

As one teacher explained, “These standards encourage teachers to help students think, apply, and create, instead of ‘sit and get’ instruction.  Students make relevant and real-world connections across the disciplines.”

What do the experts think about what Alabama is doing?

Of the 50+ I talked to, not a single one disagrees with the move.

“I have seen teachers re-energized.  One first-grade teacher came to me with tears in her eyes and said that she had been in a rut and what she is now doing has brought joy back to her classroom,” said one longtime principal.

“We just had a school that exceeded national benchmarks in all content areas.  I asked why this happened. The principal said that her teachers are finally able to teach again,” said a central office specialist.

“The standards are about doing what is right for the children, their future and their success.  I don’t understand why adults in today’s society try to use children as a bargaining chip to promote their own agenda,” commented a Torchbearer school principal.

“We are spending time teaching teachers how to stop surface teaching and start expecting deeper use of and knowledge connected to writing and reading…developing a love of learning,” explained a superintendent.

“I love the college and career ready standards.  It enables us to see how we measure up.  I believe that Alabama schools are as good as those in other states,” said a principal.

“These standards are stronger than any we’ve ever had, no question.  As long as we can teach and assess how we want, I’ll stand behind them 100%,” stated a principal of 20 years.

From a teacher of two decades, “Our new standards are one of the best things we’ve done in Alabama.  We’re all finally saying that ‘sage on the stage’ teaching is ineffective and teachers must get students invested in their own learning. Less rote memorization and more thinking and application.”

“The legislature needs to pause, take a breath and consider the repercussions of their decisions.  Teachers, children and parents are simply in the boat without a paddle and the legislature is the wind shifting directions without knowing why, when, or where,” summed up a superintendent.

After going through these comments—and many more—I’ll throw out a suggestion.  Perhaps some elected officials should visit a few schools rather than speaking at rallies.  I’ll even give them a ride in my car, which is not a hybrid.

Larry Lee led the study, Lessons Learned from Rural Schools, and is a long-time advocate for public education and frequently writes about education issues.  larrylee33@knology.net

Bold Steps? by Larry Lee

Education Matters

By Larry Lee

It was exciting to read recently that one of the GOP leaders of the Alabama House said, “It is time to take bold new steps and leave the broken status quo behind.”  I could not agree more.

Obviously Dr. Tommy Bice, state superintendent of education, feels the same way.  In fact, the statement of the legislator echoes what Bice said last winter when speaking to the legislative education budget committees.  “We have bold plans and high expectations of everyone involved in public education,” Bice told committee members.

So when are we going to start with these “bold steps?”

This last legislative session would have been a great time, especially considering that Dr. Bice, along with lots of help from many people, has put together an excellent outline of what our public education needs are in his Plan 2020.

What sets this plan apart from so many others is that it truly takes a comprehensive look at education by focusing on all the areas that must be addressed if we’re to have quality education in quality schools being led by quality educators. 

It details priorities and objectives in four areas: 1) students, 2) support systems, 3) education personnel and 4) schools and systems.  Of these, the recognition that attention must be paid to factors that impact students outside the classroom is especially significant.  Each day 150,000 Alabama students attend a school where there is at least an 80 percent poverty rate.  These are the schools most prone to fail and these are the students who are most likely to need health care, vision screening, hearing screening, mental health counseling, etc.

Some systems are already addressing such needs.  The Florence City System has a partnership with a local mental health agency that provides counselors to schools; in Gadsden City there is a health clinic at Adams Elementary manned by a local health provider.  In many systems there are churches and non-profits that provide food for needy children for the weekend.

But filling these, and other Plan 2020 needs, takes resources.  This is why Bice’s budget proposal re-directed funding in a number of cases.  He was not asking for new money, but rather, asking to take the “bold step” of setting new priorities.

Unfortunately, no one paid much attention.

For instance, since the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI) devotes considerable resources to professional development, the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) asked that $10 million be shifted from ARI to a more inclusive professional development program for teachers and principals.  This was not funded, but ARI was still cut by $10 million.

Is that a “bold new step?”

They asked for $5 million to work with family resource centers to provide more of the critical support system needs of high poverty students.  Again, they got ZERO.

Another “bold new step?”

They asked for $19.1 million to cut class sizes and restore lost teacher units.  ZERO again.

Again, a missed opportunity for a “bold new step.”

They asked to restore funding for textbooks to $75 per student, as it was in 2008.  Instead, this was level funded at last year’s rate of $31.50.

How in the world do you underfund textbooks and claim you are taking “bold new steps?”

About 360,000 kids ride buses each school day.  The actual cost of providing transportation is $323 million.  But the state only funded $304, leaving a hole of $19 million.

So evidently leaving rural school systems to pay for things the state is supposed to pay for is considered a “bold new step.”  The same can be said for setting aside funding for controversial new programs professional educators did not support, while not increasing support for proven programs such as the Alabama Math & Science Technology Initiative (AMSTI) and the distance learning program.

Yes, we need “bold new steps.” But we need to do more than talk about doing so.  You can’t run a bus on political “spin,” or reduce class sizes or buy textbooks.  Dr. Bice and the State Board of Education have the plan in place to move our schools forward.  They just need help from the folks controlling the purse strings--help that was woefully lacking this year.

Larry Lee led the study, Lessons Learned from Rural Schools, and is a long-time advocate for public education and frequently writes about education issues.  larrylee33@knology.net

Huckabee Supports CCSS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 4, 2013	Contact: ExcelinEd Press Office 850-391-4090 PressShop@ExcelinEd.org

Governor Mike Huckabee: Join Me in Supporting ‘State-Driven’ Common Core Standards WASHINGTON, DC – As states across the nation raise the bar on academic standards for American students, the Foundation for Excellence in Education announces that former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee sent the following letter to Oklahoma lawmakers, urging the continued bold adoption of rigorous Common Core State Standards in schools: Dear Oklahoma Lawmakers: As a conservative who served as governor for a state that shares the values of the very Oklahomans you represent, I’m writing to encourage you to resist any attempt to delay implementation of the improved standards adopted by your State Board of Education in 2010. Many of you voted in favor of these standards in 2010. You were right to stand for these improved standards then and you are right to stand for these improved standards still today. These standards, known as Common Core State Standards, have been near and dear to my heart since I served as Governor of your neighboring state of Arkansas. And it’s disturbing to me there have been criticisms of these standards directed by other conservatives including the RNC. The truth of the matter is, these criticisms are short-sighted. Like many of you, I’ve heard the argument these standards “threaten local control” of what’s being taught in Oklahoma classrooms. Speaking from one conservative to another, let me assure youthis simply is not true. States and local school districts will determine how they want to teach kids, what curriculum to use, and which textbooks to use. These Common Core State Standards evolved as governors and state leaders were talking about what we could do together to raise standards--not a Washington solution, but avoluntary effort on the part of the leaders of the states. In fact, conversations about these standards began long before President Obama occupied the White House. Common Core State Standards are a state driven solution to address the large number of high school graduates who have to take remedial courses in college. In your state of Oklahoma, six out of every ten students who go to college need remedial courses. That’s a lot of money being thrown out of the window by families who’ve worked hard to be able to send their child to college. Imagine finding out your child’s ACT test score wasn’t high enough to get her into college, or that she if she did get in, ended up taking two semesters worth of classes that don’t count toward her college degree. That means you’re paying university prices for what your child was supposed to learn for free in high school. From an economic and workforce development perspective, these standards are critical. Innovation driving the successful companies in Oklahoma requires them to have the best people. That means having an education system that consistently delivers a quality education so that every child graduates high school prepared for college and career. These standards ensure Oklahoma remains competitive in the race to attract companies with the highest paying jobs for Oklahomans that deserve nothing less. Not only do these standards help the Oklahoma economy, they also help the families serving our country. Children of military families will not fall behind when their parents, who've chosen to defend our freedom, are asked to move from Fort Benning, Georgia to Fort Sill in Lawton or Vance Air force base in Enid. I hope you’ll join me and other conservatives, including many Oklahoma parents, educators and business leaders, in making it known these standards are valuable for our future. They’re not something to be afraid of; indeed they are something to embrace. Best, Governor Mike Huckabee # # # To view the this letter online, please visit http://bit.ly/14dNqzr. To learn more about the Foundation for Excellence in Education, the movement to dramatically raise academic standards and the Common Core State Standards Initiative, please visitwww.ExcelinEd.org. TheFoundation for Excellence in Education is igniting a movement of reform, state by state, to transform education for the 21st century economy. Excellence in Action, the organization’s flagship initiative, is working with lawmakers and policymakers to advance education reform across America. Learn more athttp://excelined.us4.list

Pretty Good (CCRS Student Poem)

Pretty Good

Written by an Alabama High School Student 
about our College and Career Ready Standards

There once was a pretty good student, who sat in a pretty good class

And was taught the state standards by a teacher, who let pretty good pass.

He wasn't terrific at reading; he wasn't a whiz-bang at math. 


But the state standards for his education led straight down a pretty good path.

He didn't find school too exciting, but he wanted to do pretty well,

And he did have some trouble with writing, and nobody had taught him to spell.

When doing arithmetic problems, pretty good was regarded as fine. 


Minimal standards were enough, with no need to be challenged all the time.

The pretty good class that he sat in was part of a pretty good school. 


And the student was not an exception; on the contrary, he was the rule.

The pretty good student in fact was part of a pretty good mob. 


The first time he knew what he lacked was when he looked for a pretty good job.

It was then, when he sought a position, he discovered that life could be tough, 


And he soon had a sneaky suspicion pretty good might not be good enough.

The pretty good student in our story lived in a pretty good state, 


Which had pretty good minimum standards, and prayed for a pretty good fate.

There was once a pretty good nation, pretty proud of the greatness it had, 


Which learned much too late, 
If you want to be great, 


Pretty good is, in fact, pretty bad.

Social Justice is Bad?

Working Draft

So Let Me Get This Straight....
Social Justice,  Women's Rights, and  Environmentalism are Now Bad?  

I'm really confused, and I need some clarification, as does just about everyone I've spoken to about this topic.  We keep hearing from some conservative groups that President Obama and other "liberals" are trying to push social justice, women's rights, and environmentalism down our children's throats through the "Common Core Initiative" and that the media is doing the same to the general public. 

I think I've already addressed how math and English standards can't possibly indoctrinate our students with anything, other than good grammar and math skills.  Feel free to visit my other blog posts for more of my thoughts on that. 

However for tonight,  I did want to explore what propels folks to suddenly abhorre social justice, women's rights, and environmentalism.  I just don't get it.  I've done a  little research and engaged in some twitterfests, just to glean some information and perspective, but all I've come to learn is that it basically  all boils down to this....

Social Justice = Socialism

Women's Rights = Abortion

Environmentalism = Al Gore

SOCIAL JUSTICE

I could be wrong, but when I think of "social justice," I think of men like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.......not Adolph Hitler.   Social justice, in a nutshell, simply means that we are all treated fairly and look out for each other.  It does not mean socialism, not unless the term has taken some new double meaning. 

I'm Methodist,  and I know from its founding, Methodism was a Christian social justice movement. Under John Wesley's direction, Methodists became leaders in many social justice issues of the day.  Wesley himself was among the first to preach for slaves' rights.  

The Bible is full of social justice parables and verses.  As a matter of fact, even the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops outlines the "Seven Principles of Christian Social Justice."  Some key points: 

• Every person is made in the image and likeness of God, and hence every human life is sacred and has an inherent dignity.
• The family is the central social institution, and must be supported and strengthened. 
•  Every person in turn has a responsibility to each other, to their family, and to the larger society to assure that these rights are preserved and protected for all. 
•  Every person has a right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to organize and form unions, to private property, and to economic initiative. 
• We are our brothers' and sisters' keepers, wherever they live. 
• We are one human family. "Loving our neighbor" has global dimensions in an interdependent world. 

So one more time, why is social justice bad?

WOMEN'S RIGHTS

Just because we support women's rights doesn't mean we're feminists or condone abortion.  Let's all remember that it hasn't even been 100 years since women couldn't vote. Wives were once considered their husband's property, just like  the horses in the barn. Since the 19th Amendment in 1919, women have enjoyed the right to vote, thanks to the many "suffagettes" (and men) who fought to make that happen.   For years before and after that time, few women were highly educated or for those who were, they rarely received a comparable salary to their male counterparts. Legislation has improved that issue as well. 

As a Christian Conservative,  I, along with millions of others, do not believe that a woman's right is to deny the life of  an unborn, defenseless child. Many pro-abortion, or "pro-choice," individuals feel differently.  However, just because they claim abortion is a woman's right, the historical fight to level the playing for women should not be impugned. Furthermore, it's important that our students know how far women have come.  

ENVIRONMENTALISM

Yep, we are familiar with Al Gore's fascination with environmentalism, especially the climate.  There has been a lot discussion about his claims and motives,  some good and some bad.  Just because liberal-minded people speak up for the environment doesn't mean we shouldn't all be participants in a greater, greener Earth.  

I've seen tweets where people actually complained that their children's schools were celebrating Earth Day, Go Green Day, and/or the Great American Cleanup because these schools were trying to indoctrinate their children with liberal ideals.  Seriously?

Apparently, these folks didn't grow up with parents like mine, who scolded me for leaving the lights on when I left a room, or God forbid, litter.  To this day, you will never see me drop a speck of litter because my parents instilled such a love and respect for the world I live in.  I've turned that around, I hope, with my children and students. 

Taking care of our environment is a good thing, people.  We want to leave the place a little better than we found it (or at least as good) for our future generations.  Just because you turn the water off when you brush your teeth doesn't mean you're a left-winged liberal.