Educational Malpractice

AZMerit High Stakes test now accounts for 90% of a school’s letter grade

Anita Christy

An article published on April 28, 2017 in the Arizona Daily Independent, reports on a recent vote by the Arizona State Board of Education to use the results of Common Core-aligned AZMerit high stakes test to grade public schools.  

Arizonans Against Common Core, Mommy Lobby AZ, and Opt Out AZ, released a statement after the vote: “Parents advocating for their children and teachers are dismayed by the A-F Accountability plan adopted by the Arizona State Board of Education. One high stakes test now accounts for 90% of a school’s letter grade. This decision reveals the SBE believes parents are incapable of selecting schools on their own. Few other factors matter to the state; however, parents make thoughtful school choices based on their own values, research, and judgment.”

So, the AZ. State Board of Education is using the controversial, unvalidated, one-size-fits all, secretive, high stakes AZ Merit to “evaluate” every public school in Arizona. The only people who have seriously donned their thinking caps are SBE board member Jared Taylor, Choice Academies president Ms. Lisa Fink, and commentators “Listen to a Mom” and Edward Cizek. The letter grade a school receives using AZ Merit scores as the most critical criteria, will be useless to parents. Do the board members actually believe otherwise? What a waste of time, effort, and money. Ms. Fink, who is quoted extensively, uses Consumer Reports as an example of what truly passes for an evaluation of a product.  I would add that we use far more criteria evaluating the nutritional value of canned soup and cereal.

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A Picture is Worth a Thousand Common Core Standards

Anita Christy

Golly, I don’t know who to believe.  Diane Douglas or my own lyin’ eyes?  

(Slide of the above image provided by Robert Michael.)

To read the Common Core Math Standards compared to the "Replacement," click HERE.  

To read the Common Core ELA (English/Language Arts) Standards compared to the "Replacement," click HERE. 

You don’t need a college degree to see that Arizona hasn’t "replaced" Common Core.  All you need is the ability to put on your thinking cap and read. 

See Also:

 

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How Much of the Common Core Standards Really Changed?

Anita Christy

Wouldn’t you think that, by now, most Arizonans know that Superintendent Diane Douglas is lying when she repeatedly tells people that Arizona’s "new standards are ‘No way’ Common Core-like"!!  I guess she thinks that, if she repeats the lie often enough, people will believe it.  

Gilbert Watch has published two side-by-side comparisons, which were put together by a mother with the Mommy Lobby:  1) The old Common Core Math compared to Arizona’s New Math Standards, and 2) The old Common Core English/Language Arts standards compared to Arizona’s New English/Language Arts standards.   

Recently, a mother with the Mommy Lobby produced a simple, two-sided flyer that you can distribute to your friends, family, legislators, parents, children, by-standers, curiosity seekers, etc:  "How Much of the Common Core Standards Really Changed?"

For anyone who wants to know everything there is to know about Common Core, so you, too, can be sick to death of it, see below.  As for me, I’m researching homeschooling.

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Arizona’s Newest K-12 English/Language Arts Standards No Different than Common Core

Anita Christy

As clearly shown in a previous article titled Arizona’s Newest K-12 Math Standards No Different than Common Core, the same is true of the English/Language Arts (ELA) Standards.  

One of the mothers with the Mommy Lobby has completed a 93-page side-by-side comparsion of the old Common Core K-12 ELA Standards to Arizona’s Final “repealed and replaced” Draft.  

Click HERE to see with your own eyes how the Math Standards compare.

Click HERE to see with your own eyes how the English/Language Arts Standards compare.

So, the next time you hear someone say how Arizona’s Common Core standards have been repealed or eliminated, you will know it’s a lie.  

You have the evidence at your fingertips.

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Building the Machine: Common Core

Anita Christy

Haven’t heard of "Common Core"?  If you live anywhere in Arizona, your children are being indoctrinated with Common Core State Standards.   Governor Jan Brewer recently signed Executive Order # 2013-08 which changed its name to Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards.  It’s time you found out what YOUR children are learning in your local schools.  By the way, the schools are 90% "on board" with it.  Good teachers are helping your students learn, in spite of Common Core.  You are on your own in learning the Truth about Common Core.  Check out this website, for starters:  Common Core: Education Without Representation.  

 

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Student Kenneth Ye Farragut takes down Common Core in Tennessee

Anita Christy

Please note that Kenneth Ye Farragut is a top honors student who has scored 5’s on AP Calculus and AP Statistics.  He states, "I am unable to answer or justify the first grade Pearson math question, ‘What is a related subtraction sentence?’"  He refers to the public school systems that have adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as "Data Run Factories."  (In Arizona, CCSS is referred to as Arizona College and Career Ready Standards, which is identical to Common Core.)

Please also note that Kenneth Ye Farragut notes that Pearson is the largest educational text sales company in the world.  Bill Gates – one unelected businessman – partnered with Pearson to market Common Core.  Bill Gates also funded the Common Core initiative and paid the PTA and the pro-Common Core think tanks (Fordham Institute, Manhattan Institute, Foundation for Educational Excellence) that advocate for it. He has also paid Achieve, Inc.  Achieve, Inc. had more to do with the development of Common Core than any other single organization.  Bill Gates has publically called American schools his "uniform customer base."  He has said that his goal is for Common Core tests, curriculum, and standards to align.  

  

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Education is a System of Indoctrination of the Young: Noam Chomsky

Anita Christy

Say what you will about Noam Chomsky, the Leftist-Libertarian-Socialist who dabbles in anarchy.  The fact is, he understands and articulates very well what America’s government schools are doing:  They are indoctrinating our children to be obedient to the State and to not question authority, their government, or bureaucratic "experts."  Think of this when your child attempts to present scientific evidence that refutes Global Warming and Darwinism.   Think of when you see otherwise thinking individuals such as Gilbert Town Council members who "struggle" to vote against their bureaucratic advisors and the ICC (International Code Council), even when an overwhelming number of citizens know that the codes are unnecessary.   

He has stated that "with regard to freedom of speech there are basically two positions: you defend it vigorously for views you hate, or you reject it and prefer Stalinist/fascist standards."  He has also stated that "Obama, first of all, is running the biggest terrorist operation that exists, maybe in history."

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Why Parents are Opting Their Children out of the AZMerit Exam

Anita Christy

From the website Opt Out AZ. 

"What are some of the problems with AZMerit?

•  It is unconstitutional and violates the 4th Amendment. Personally identifiable information will be collected on your student and can be distributed among companies and organizations that participated in the development and implementation of the Common Core Standards. This data will also be stored by the U.S. Department of Education and can become part of your student’s permanent record.

•  AIR (who administers the AZMerit) is a behavioral research organization. Behavioral research is usually administered to people who have severe cognitive or communication disabilities to determine why they demonstrate inappropriate behaviors. Why is a behavior based research organization testing children who are attending normal schools? This question should be asked by every parent.

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School Administrators (aka “Gaggle of Nitwits”) at Ashton Ranch Elementary

Anita Christy

"When teachers saw what happened, they hauled Eric into the principal’s office where he was forced to sign a document that labeled his actions “sexual misconduct.” Eric received detention as punishment.

"Martinez says she was not present for the meeting and not notified about the incident until after the fact."

Not mentioned in the article are the names of the principal and assistant principal, or their contact information.  So, here they are:

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Comparing Common Core’s Kindergarten English/Language Arts Standards to Arizona’s 2016 “Final”

Anita Christy

We are at the point where many children who are being taught under Common Core will never recover those lost years.  These children will be sent out unprepared into the world.  I have no faith that the "State" is capable of, or committed to, providing a quality education to Arizona’s children.  Our only hope is that more parents understand that they are far more competent and far more concerned about educating their children.  "Public and private teachers are but proxies, substitutes, surrogates for those ultimately responsible–the parents."  Dr. Ray E. Ballmann

The purpose of this article is to show you that Arizona’s Final ELA standards have changed very little from the original Common Core.   These standards are detrimental to a quality education. 

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