Cuomo Agrees Common Core is Broken

[ELMER J. FUDD]

http://libn.com/2015/09/03/cuomo-calls-ny-common-core-broken-calls-for-reform/

"You don't need ten rounds to how many beers has Elmer had tonight?"

[ELMER J. FUDD]

Cuomo calls NY Common Core ‘broken,’ calls for reform

In a stunning reversal, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a staunch advocate of the Common Core curriculum, today said New York State’s Common Core program is “broken” and called for an extensive review and recommendations for change.

Cuomo issued a written statement after the New York State Education Department began taking measures to prevent certain funding from going to schools with high numbers of students who opted out of tests given to evaluate teachers.

His statement also came after a battle over the Common Core sharpened, as newly named Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia faulted parents of students who opted out for not going along with this testing process, as she seeks to stem a growing opt-out movement.

While Cuomo attacked the implementation, he still said he supported the  idea of Common Core, a distinction likely to be lost on some critics.

“The fact is that the current Common Core program in New York is not working, and must be fixed,” Cuomo said. “To that end, the time has come for a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Common Core dtandards, curriculum, guidance and tests in order to address local concerns.”

Cuomo went short of saying that Common Core itself is a failure, saying that he is calling for change, “not because I don’t believe in standards, but because I do.”

“I believe the implementation by the State Education Department has been deeply flawed,” he said. “The more time goes on, the more I am convinced of this position.”

Critics of Common Core, however, were skeptical of Cuomo’s criticism of the implementation and defense of the concept of Common Core.

“All that is left of the vague promise of Common Core is the theory of it,” said Jeanette Deutermann, one of the leaders of the Long Island opt out movement.

She said that Governor Cuomo and Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch have “teamed up for the past five years to turn that theory into a living nightmare for our children and their teachers” that should not be reformed, but removed.

“Through their leadership, reforms, and laws, our classrooms have turned into unrecognizable test prep factories, sacrificing the joy of both teaching and learning,” Deutermann continued.

Deborah Brooks, co-founder of Port Washington Advocates for Public Education, said when John King was commissioner, Cuomo said the state had botched implementation, by rushing it and not doing it properly.

“The thing that he has refused to acknowledge is that now we’re at least four years into this,” Brooks said. “After four years, implementation is over. When is the Governor going to understand that it’s about the standards themselves?”

Allison White, a parent who opposes the Common Core, believes that education has become politicized with decisions made by government officials.

“Common Core can’t be fixed. It’s a lemon and should be scrapped completely,” White said. “The Governor is not interested in what is best for children; he is simply realizing that his own ratings are at an all time low. Teachers, educational professionals and parents should be making educational decisions, not politicians.”

Cuomo said that “a growing chorus of experts” questioned the state’s Common Core program and criticized the new commissioner’s own taking to task of parents whose children opted out of tests.

“While I understand the issue and (State Education Department’s) valid concern, I sympathize with the frustration of the parents,” Cuomo said.

He added that Elia “inherited this problem” and “has been meeting with parents, educators and students, and has heard the same concerns.”

Cuomo said in the past he has turned to an Education Commission to make “substantive, unbiased recommendations on reforms to our education system.”

He plans to ask “a representative group” from that Commission to recommend changes, including education experts, teachers, parents, the Commissioner of Education and legislative representatives.

He said that he would ask them “to review the issues raised above and provide recommendations” in time for his state of the state Address in January.

Deutermann, however, called Cuomo’s statements a “political ploy… as the blame game continues,” vowing to “refuse to participate in the mechanisms that are destroying our schools and our children’s education.”

“He has the opportunity to really turn this boat around,” Brooks added. “He has a golden opportunity. For practical purposes, he can decouple tests from teacher evaluations.”

She said that a committee should include competent people who can figure out what’s appropriate for students in each grade rather than cronies who might rubber stamp what’s in place or make recommendations for slight change.

“In the meantime, mitigate the damage being done to children now,” Brooks said. “I would get rid of the assessment test. The test is aligned to the Common Core standards. If you suspend the tests, the teachers can go back to what they know the kids will understand.”

New York State already has gotten rid of the company that had been preparing the teacher assessment tests, bringing in another firm to revamp them.

The New York State Education Department recently selected Minneapolis, Minn.-based Questar Assessment to develop math and English language arts assessments for grades three to eight, replacing Pearson Education.

Questar won a five-year, $44 million contract that includes options for districts to administer tests on computers as well as ending stand-alone tests given to try out new questions.

Read more: http://libn.com/2015/09/03/cuomo-calls-ny-common-core-broken-calls-for-reform/#ixzz3kizmsBUq

[shawnhu]

Now this is useful political discussions

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[DirtTime]

It will be interesting to see what happens with this one. From the way this reads that "No Child Left Behind" might go out the window.

Edited September 4, 2015 by ....rob

[growalot]

So tax payers are going to get bent over yet  again on this, to undo what Cuomo had planned to be a shinning star for his resume' to the wht house....is that what I'm reading?

[The_Field_Ager]

Uh Oh. A political thread in general chit-chat! You've done it now. The 'chit' is about to hit the fan once the little coven of whiny whiners gets wind of this.

 

 

Good news though all round. Great thread topic.

Edited September 4, 2015 by Papist

[The_Field_Ager]

Now this is useful political discussions

 

 

 

Hypocrite. It's not even the 'right' forum. (as a man, this doesn't bother me at all) .  

Edited September 4, 2015 by Papist

[growalot]

Papist play nice...you don't like it when guys come after you and this is just play yard crap...come on!

[The_Field_Ager]

Papist play nice...you don't like it when guys come after you and this is just play yard crap...come on!

 

They won't stop grow. That's fine by me. I can give as good. You can sense the butthurt here with Shawnhu after his  disgraceful behavior yesterday was criticized. Just another, but more subtle attack by him. Surprised you missed it.

 

As they old song goes, ' if you're playing with me, you're playing with fire' 

Edited September 4, 2015 by Papist

[growalot]

I didn't miss it and have been on the receiving end of his "issues". ...Having an axe to grind can be a difficult thing. Putting that edge to the stone for too long and you ruin your edge. Pulling up once in a while to check things out and you may end up with a sharp ax to use later...

[ELMER J. FUDD]

Thanks to whoever put this in the correct forum section. Sorry about that.

[Mr VJP]

The last thing we should do is allow the party that broke the system, "fix" the system they  broke.

[BizCT]

Clearly NY's education system is flawed. For example, Papist is teacher of some sort. Hopefully a private school.

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[steve863]

Clearly NY's education system is flawed. For example, Papist is teacher of some sort. Hopefully a private school.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

He teaches conspiracy theories 101 in pre-K.