Then why doesn't the areas/schools/districts where this is working so well HELP the other areas/schools/districts with copies of what THEY have come up with? If teachers and schools are so passionate about how Common Core is a step in the right direction, why not help those that are showing signs of struggle? This is after all, designed to help the kids, everywhere, right?
I'm sure they would if districts asked for it. The problem is, the districts don't want it. They are just looking to blame CC while they sit back and rest on their laurels with hands raised saying....wasn't me, not my fault. Well, that is BS.
One woman had hired a tutor. Another had endless meetings with school administration. One women had talked to the teacher and then the principal -- 1.the teacher admitted what they were teaching the kids was totally developmentally inappropriate, but she had no choice. Attempts to talk to the school board just got a polite rebuff.
And2. parents of kids with special needs don't have time to launch a campaign -- they are simply trying to get through the days and weeks of school and homework. (And it was her typical child who is struggling now and hating school.)
For me, 3. I'm prohibited by my work from getting politically involved. I have made my complaints through back channels.
As much as you hate to hear it, this is what's happening all across the country because 4.Common Core was rushed out without thought or careful vetting. It was driven by greed and profits and opportunity, with little thought to children or teachers.
1. That is a lie. Everyone has a choice every single day on what they do and don't do. NO teacher is evaluated every day, so she has ever opportunity to adjust her lessons to meet the needs of her students. She is lazy...so, that is the reality. Any teacher(good teacher) who allows her students to flounder with crap lessons, when good lessons are just a google search away is full of it. I taught, I know what it is like. NOBODY is in your classroom except maybe a couple times a year for ONE lesson each time. The rest of the time nobody knows what is going on. Even submitting lesson plans are as simple as just showing what bullet point in the curriculum you will be hitting, not a step by step lesson including what you will be saying is every submitted to Admins.
2. Sorry, but this is an excuse. We all have kids with needs and some more than others, I know plenty of parents who not only work f/t, but also have a child with special needs who do volunteer and take an active role in the community. They don't have to justify what they do with their free time, but if they wanted to help make a change they could. Their children are on IEP's and if they are being subjected to lessons that require skills dictated that they need accommodations for via the IEP they can sue the school. They should at least try to make some time to contact a lawyer. Tons of pro bono Lawyers out there just salivating to pounce on cases like this.
3. We make time for what we want to make time for. Plenty of single parents who work F/T rally people together to fight injustice for what is right for their kids. For example the movie won't back down is a perfect example of a mom who fights for the rights of her child. Granted the movie is loosely based on the story, but you can do what you want if it is important enough. I didn't say you had to do everything, but if you can make time for a mom's group, you certainly can make time to meet with parents who feel just as passionately about this issue. You can spend 30 minutes a night researching lessons that are IYO good examples to teach the standards vs. what your teachers are using. Then ask who have the time to be at the meeting to present the findings. TEAMWORK...nobody said you had to do it alone. Start small with an email that asks people to meet if they feel the same. Brainstorm who can do what and take it from there.
4. CC wasn't rushed out, schools just decided to hide their head in the sand and not deal with it until it was too late and just buy the good ol' curriculum in the box. Again, if they began rewriting the curriculum when the standards were released they had PLENTY of time. When you child has a project due in a month and then waits until the night before and then complains they didn't have enough time and that is why they failed do you blame the child or the assignment???? Let me guess, both...the assignment was crap so your child couldn't have possibly succeeded and your child for waiting until the last minute...but really if it wasn't for that awful assignment your child wouldn't be in that situation.
OK, let me try this.... so BEFORE, a typical 5th grader would learn ABC while in school on the east coast. At the same time, a typical 5th grader would learn DEF and not ABC on the west coast. Child 1 moves to the west coast and is now lost because they know ABC but not DEF. The "standards" now state that ALL 5th graders need to learn ABC, no matter what. How you get there is up to you! Teachers can either use this method "out of the box" or come up with their own way, as long as ABC is taught. Now, in most cases, ABC was already being taught (as we know it and how we were taught). However, so the "standards" are met, introduce new methods and thought processes of learning ABC (not really a "how ever you can get there method). It needs to be universal so child 1 on the east coast and child 2 on the west coast are at the same level.
