High Stakes Testing – Expensive, Wasteful, Ineffective Child Abuse

Hopefully, you read the letter that educational tutor Barry Jackson sent to Betsy DeVos.  In it you can see the damage that is being done to our children by the Arizona State Board of Education when they, along with then Gov. Jan Brewer and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, in 2010, brought the Common Core Machine to Arizona.  They did this in hopes of "winning" millions of dollars from our federal government via Race to the Top.  

Since that time, Common Core has been rebranded, twice.  Further, the pro-Common Core State Board has ensured that the damage continues.  These people consider themselves "experts," a term that is being met with cynicism by a growing number of critically thinking people. 

"Board member Jared Taylor, who has been consistent in his opposition to Common Core, was the lone “no” vote.

“The bottom line is that I am very disappointed that we kicked the parents to the curb and ignored the will of the voters when they elected Diane Douglas. Yet she led the way today; we just renewed Common Core,” stated Taylor.  Arizona State Board Of Education Approves Rebrand Of Common Core Standards

If you have any doubts about the negative effects of High Stakes Testing, there are many others who agree with Barry Jackson.  They also say it is counter-productive, expensive, wasteful, and it is also child abuse.   

As you read some of the comments below from the real experts, both local and national,–there are thousands more that I have not quoted–please recall that the Arizona State Board of Education voted in April 2017, to make 90% of a school’s A-F grade dependent on how well their students scored on the High Stakes test, AZMerit.   

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Barry Jackson on “Teaching to the Test”

Barry Jackson, who tutors children in the East Valley, sent the following letter to Betsy Devos, United States Secretary of Education. 

Dear Secretary DeVos:

For several months I have been tutoring a student whose school seems to spend an inordinate amount of time preparing students for standardized tests. First it was two days "reviewing" for a Galileo test. Now she says "we are not doing anything" but preparing for another standardized test, and this is taking several days. Along with "fall break"(two weeks) and "early release" Wednesdays, it is at least even money that she is learning more from me in one hour than she receives in a week in school.

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The National Common Core Standards System

This heavily referenced, 48-page document is the result of three months of research effort on the part of members of Arizona’s Mommy Lobby, with the help of Emmett McGroarty of the American Principles Project.   It has been distributed to Arizona’s House and Senate Education Committees, Governor Ducey’s office, most of Arizona’s leadership, as well as the Arizona State Board of Education.  If you have questions about Common Core in Arizona (aka Arizona’s College and Career Ready Standards) most of the answers are contained in this document titled the National Common Core Standards System 

Chapter headings include:  1) History of Common Core: America and Arizona; 2) The Common Core are Inferior, Defective, and do Not Lead to Readiness for Authentic College Work; 3) High Stakes Testing; 4) Data Collection and Personally Identifiable Information; and 5) Teacher Accountability.

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Does John McCain Care More About Dead Boxers than Kids?

Some senators/presidential candidates weren’t fooled by the majority opinion that the ESSA (S1177 Every Student Succeeds Act) returns educational decisions to local school districts and the states.    Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul voted NAY for cloture on 12/8/2015.  Paul again voted NAY to the bill on 12/9/2015.  Senator Jeff Flake flip-flopped, initially voting YEA on Tuesday, and NAY on Wednesday.  

Senator Cruz stated:  The bill "continues to propagate the large and ever-growing role of the federal government in our education system—the same federal government that sold us failed top-down standards like Common Core."  

Senator Paul stated:  "While the Senate bill goes a long way to remove federal mandates, it also continues a large federal intrusion into education, therefore I will oppose it."  

Senator John McCain voted YEA both days.  Maybe it was because he finally, after 10 years of trying, got his special wish.  

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Letter to Arizona Senators Opposing HB 2047 Common Core Assessment

Senator,

First, thank you for your service to our State. Second, I’d like to share my thoughts on a bill coming before you this session: HB 2047 – Common Core Assessment.

Common Core (CC) was designed with good intentions, but has not been tested or validated.  Further, it unwisely hands to the federal government powerful controls on our school system. The best and only proven solution to improving education is to keep education local and close to parents.  This is not a partisan issue.

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Common Core Symposium – 10/30/2013 – 1 PM – Arizona Senate – Hearing Room 1

Please attend this very important symposium.  Four panelists will be giving presentations on why they disapprove/approve of Common Core including:  Jonathan Butcher (Goldwater Institute), Dr. Sandra Stotsky (Leading expert on Common Core/University of Arkansas), Jared Taylor (Heritage Academy) and John Huppenthal (Superintendent of Public Instruction). See attached flier for further details. Please forward this post and this Common Core Symposium flyer to your email list. 

 

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Vacancy on the Arizona State Board of Education’s Standards Development Committee

If you would like to play an effective role in replacing Common Core in Arizona, now’s your chance!  There’s a vacancy on the State Board of Education’s Standards Development Committee for a member who is a parent of a public high school student.  The Arizona Standards Development Committee includes representation from the Board, business community, deans of colleges, parents, classroom teachers, a school administrator, and a school district governing board member. The Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas is also a member of the Committee. Members of the Committee are an equal mix of those who have and have not participated in the standards development process in the past.

More information about the Arizona Standards Development Committee can be found HERE.   

Applicants are encouraged to complete the application and return the requested documents to inbox@azsbe.az.gov by May 31, 2016.   Click HERE to print out the application.  

According to State Board Member Jared Taylor, “It would be great to get some good parents of high school students to apply.”

Are you interested in reviewing some excellent K-12 standards that already exist?  See An English Language Arts Curriculum Framework for American Public Schools: A Model  and Mathematics Content Standards for California Public Schools Kindergarten through Grade Twelve: A Model

Two addenda could be added to the California standards referenced above that elaborate on the standards themselves and deal with pedagogical and organizational issues:  1) Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools, 2000 Revised Edition; and 2) Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools, 2006 Edition."

Please contact Gilbert Watch and let us know if you apply!

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California Teacher: “Get out of my way, I have some laws to change, and no one’s stopping me.”

This post appeared in Stop Common Core in California Facebook on May 6, 2016.  It was shared by California teacher, Dawn Nikisher Kelly, with her permission:  

(GW NOTE:  It may be of interest to know that, unlike Arizona, California law allows a parent or guardian to excuse a child from all or parts of the statewide assessment.  Not many parents do, however.  See 60615 of EDUCATION CODE SECTION 60604-60618.)  

 

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