How Dumb Has Common Core Become?

[longknife]

Not only this, but the blog has lots of links to other examples of the stupidity being forced on our schools by progressives and others who want to keep our youth so they too can be added to the roles of Low Information Voters. Read article with links @ Dumb and dumber: Check out the latest silly Common Core math problem [pic] | Twitchy

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Not only this, but the blog has lots of links to other examples of the stupidity being forced on our schools by progressives and others who want to keep our youth so they too can be added to the roles of Low Information Voters. Read article with links @ Dumb and dumber: Check out the latest silly Common Core math problem [pic] | Twitchy

The Democrat Party adding to its base of government dependent idiots

 

[initforme]

Ok, so the common core is no good. Then those who are complaining, (I mean CRYING) about the standards should be hard at work developing better ones. People would consider if they ever got something else to look at. I agree to raise the bar. No doubt. ALL kids go to college so NO CHILD has to work an entry level job.

 

[Disir]

The Common Core was dumb starting in 2006-2007
The History of Common Core State Standards - US News

 

[DGS49]

(Aside from violating the U.S. Constitution) there is nothing wrong with having national educational standards and doing periodic testing to see how students, school districts, and states are measuring up.

If people have a legitimate problem with individual problems/questions, let's correct the problems or have a discussion.

No reason to throw out the whole concept.

 

[Crystalclear]

I do not like the idea of uniform testing at all. I think that schools and teachers must look at the potential of students and what they are capable of, not just a stupid test that has to be the standard.

 

[initforme]

"I do not like the idea of uniform testing at all. I think that schools and teachers must look at the potential of students and what they are capable of, not just a stupid test that has to be the standard."

Well all those who constantly complain and have whined enough about more accountability have now gotten their way. So now schools are spending a lot more days testing. They put a ton of weight into the testing, but they ask that teachers "don't teach to the test.". Is that not the dumbest thing you have ever heard? We're going to test your kids on this and this and this. But DO NOT teach solely to the test. The whole thing is insane. Then because of all the crying and whining the common core were created. Now those are no good. What do they want? They do not want nurturing teachers. They want all kids to learn at the same rate at the same exact time so the test scores are higher. That's it. So let's cut the garbage and tell the teachers exactly what is on the test. Then teach solely to those things. Then take the test and let's see what happens. I know of no other profession where one is judged on one thing and told not to use it as a guide. Makes no sense. Perhaps they want robots for teachers and robots for kids learning all at the exact same rate at the exact same time. That's ok I guess as long as rote memorization of useless things like historical dates is skipped because if you want to wreck education that is a start.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Obama is using Common Core to count the "sign ups" on the failed $1billion ObamaCare wensite

Sent from smartphone using my wits and Taptalk

 

[initforme]

Those against the common core need to write their own. Better yet if they are so against it they should volunteer to teach for free for 5 years and help with the installation of the new standards. And let me judge you.

 

[Iceweasel]

It was a trick question. The correct answer is "I love Obama".

 

[Tresha91203]

One of the major problems with "the system" is that we keep trying to find one way to teach all children. We try method 1 for several years until it proves to be a failure for 30% of the kids. So, we try method 2 for several years until it proves to be a failure for 30% of the kids. So, we try method 3 and on and on. The truth is not all people think the same way. If you give a math problem to 6 people, they will work that problem in about 4 different ways.

New Math is horribly awkward for me. I have to "translate" it to my way. When teaching children, you have to find the way they "see" it and present it to them in their "language." If you are talking to them in an awkward language, it will never feel right to them and they will always second-guess, feel insecure. I'm not a teacher, but I am an instructor and tutor. You can't teach the class without teaching the individual. It is difficult to explain, but it is like teaching or even explaining music (math especially).

The problem I have with common core is the pressure on the youngest. We teach phonics in kindergarten now: vowel diagraphs, dipthongs, controlled vowels, etc. They are too young to focus for 6 hours so they miss a LOT of it. When they get to 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade, they can't read fluently so bomb the comprehension portions as well (because they can't get through the passage). These children do not understand that failing (at a task, not meaning failing school) is part of learning and living. They do not yet have the coping skills and they shut down ... at 7 years old. It is sad, and we have to convince them they are not idiots.

Problem 2: teaching to the test sucks. We don't drill them to memorize their tables (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) anymore. That takes 15 minutes a day every day and we don't have that time anymore. As a result, we've got 9th graders counting on their fingers ffs or drawin 8 rows of 8 circles and counting them up. They can't finish an algebra test in time. Many schools aren't teaching cursive handwriting at all because it isn't on standardized tests.

I asked a 2nd grade teacher how it was going at the end of last year and was horrified to hear, "A third of my class is medicated."

P.S. If you want to help your child, build up their confidence. Tell them they aren't stupid. Two simple fixes that will solve most of their problems are filling in their phonics (when 2 vowels go walking, the first vowel does the talking, he says his name, and the 2nd vowel is shy and silent ... as in eat, goat, etc ... little analogies they understand) and memorize the math tables.

 

[KissMy]

Teachers complained about "No Child Left Behind", so how is "Common Core" any different? It will still be teaching to a standardized test just like NCLB. They probably just dumbed it down more. Teachers claimed the problem with NCLB was they stopped teaching the good students & focused on getting the bad ones to pass the test. How is CC going to solve that?

 

[psikeyhackr]

It was a trick question. The correct answer is "I love Obama".

Shouldn't that be "I love Bill Gates"?

Bill Gates Comes To The Defense Of The Common Core

psik

 

[longknife]

It was a trick question. The correct answer is "I love Obama".

Shouldn't that be "I love Bill Gates"?

Bill Gates Comes To The Defense Of The Common Core

psik

Yeah, I think I already posted that somewhere.

Nobody complains that trying to improve our education system is not a critical need. It's just that federalizing it is not what is going to improve things in individual classrooms and school districts.

I have long supported eliminating the US Department of Education.

 

[regent]

Common Core is what happens when states take over.

 

[oldfart]

(Aside from violating the U.S. Constitution) there is nothing wrong with having national educational standards and doing periodic testing to see how students, school districts, and states are measuring up.

If people have a legitimate problem with individual problems/questions, let's correct the problems or have a discussion.

No reason to throw out the whole concept.

I run into this kind of thing very often. A friend of mine has become a leading expert on misinformation in textbooks (look up the "Lies my Teacher Told Me" series by James Loewen) and I try to keep up with it as a hobby. There are some institutional problems that give rise to this, the biggest one being the use of "educational consultants" to write textbooks and draft teaching materials (homework assignments, lesson plans, etc) who really have no training in the subject matter. If you think the math is a howler, check out Jim's books for what they do to history.

Personally I've got about 20 hours of graduate statistics, done published research, and testified in federal court as an expert in economic statistics. There is a reason why PhD's in research fields hire statisticians to check their work before publication. Hell Einstein did it regularly; his basic math was terrible. But that doesn't stop textbook publishers from hiring folks with no training or experience at all in a field to write high school level texts.

The reason this keeps going on is that there is no financial incentive to get it right. Textbook review boards such as the one in Texas don't check textbooks for accuracy; they literally do not care if the texts are accurate or not. Their job is to ensure that the information in the texts is politically acceptable to the state legislature. Often that means being "balanced", giving equal time to real science and science deniers, or avoiding a topic completely. How do basic biology texts deal with evolution? Or human sexual anatomy?

This is why the system will never get better until there is a market for fact-based education with as much attention to getting it right as to accommodating political agendas. Maybe in my great-grandchildren's lifetimes.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Common Core is what happens when states take over.

Take over what?

 

[regent]

Common Core is what happens when states take over.

Take over what?

Take over the process of trying to create a viable educational program without federal help or guidance.

 

[Iceweasel]

Common Core is what happens when states take over.

Take over what?

Take over the process of trying to create a viable educational program without federal help or guidance.

Nope.

Financial Incentives Are The "Core" Of New Education Standards > Publications > State Budget Solutions

In other words, the federal government can use its spending power to encourage states to accept uniform standards and may withhold funds at least as high as five percent, but less than 100 percent. Therefore, the issue of voluntariness of states is a constitutional question that relies heavily on the financial details.

Nonetheless, states rarely turn down the chance to accept "free money" from the federal government. Funding for education is no different. The primary financial incentive for states to accept the CCSS comes from the Race to the Top Fund (RTT). The fund, created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and totaling $4.35 billion, offers competitive grants to all 50 states based on a number of criteria. "Developing and adopting common standards" would give a state 40 of a possible 500 points. As a result, 45 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the CCSS, allowing them to check off one category to make their application more competitive. Although specifically adopting the CCSS was not a requirement, the states that have not done so never even applied for RTT funding.