Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it AND Birds of a Feather Love the Common Core Together
As you read this compilation showing the NEA/AFT love affair with the Common Core State (sic) Standards, think about this recent blog posting at the National Education Policy Center. The headline reads Market-Based Think Tank Opposes Common Core and it links to a series of articles opposing the Common Core by the Washington Policy Center (WPC). WPS is "an independent, non-profit, non-partisan think tank [located in Washington State] that promotes sound public policy based on free-market solutions." Free-market solutions include working with ALEC. The Center for Education is one of six centers at WPC. Liv Finne, Center Director, has written a series of essays exhibiting a steady opposition to the Common Core. They are worth reading. Also worth noting is the fact that that this market-based think tank takes such a studied opposition to the Common Core while our teacher unions embrace the Common Core and our unions professional organizations offer books and webinars to profit from it. It seems past time that we ask these unions and professional organization some serious questions.
ITEM:
NEA Partners to Develop Standards for Measuring 21st Century Skills
Washington--Feb. 23, 2009. NEA is pleased to announce its partnership with the Council of Chief State School Officers, the National Governors Association, Achieve, Inc., the Alliance for Excellent Education, the Hunt Institute, the National Association of State Boards of Education and the Business Roundtable, in a new state-led initiative to improve the access of every student to a complete, high-quality education that provides the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the 21st century. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is working to produce a common core of voluntary state standards across grades. The K-12 standards would cover English/language arts, math, and eventually science. The initiative plans to be an inclusive and transparent process that will include input from education, civil rights and business leaders among others. ITEM: NEA Comments on K-12 Common Core Standards Draft
Washington-- March 11, 2010. NEA is pleased to support this draft of the Common Core State Standards. It reflects efforts to make substantial revisions to improve the previous draft and demonstrates the responsiveness of the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) staff to input from stakeholders. Two NEA members serve on project committees and an advisory group of NEA teachers has provided input on several occasions. The attentiveness of CCSSI leaders to the ideas of teachers provides real classroom grounding for the learning progressions and ideas in the standards.
ITEM: Statement from Business Roundtable on the Release of Proposed K-12 Common Core State Standards
Washington — March 10, 2010. Business Roundtable's CEOs are pleased with the proposed K-12 Common Core State Standards released by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State Officers. These standards, developed in conjunction with teachers, school administrators and experts, represent one of the most important developments in the history of American education. . . .
ITEM: Teacher involvement to continue as core standards are set to launch
Keeping the classroom voice in standards
American Teacher
May 1, 2010--YOU'LL BE HEARING a lot in the coming weeks about a great opportunity in public education — a chance to transform a patchwork of state standards into one set of strong, consistent expectations for what all students should know and leam. It's happening through the project known as the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI), which was set to release final standards in English-language arts and mathematics for grades K-12 as American Teacher went to press.
This effort to bring clarity, consistency and, above all, equity to the education of all children is generating well- deserved attention. And another compelling story tied to CCSSI is flying just under the radar, it's the story of how the AFT and our members around the nation worked both individually and collectively to bring judgment and real-world classroom experience to bear in drafts of the standards before they were up for public review- and how these educators are planning to stay involved in the months ahead.
[Sidebar]
"AFT members played a fundamental role in the development of common core standards.--DAVID COLEMAN, standards writer
Washington--June 2, 2010. The U.S. Department of Education issued the following statement:
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued the following statement regarding today's release by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers on a set of state-led education standards, known as the Common Core State Standards.
"The release today of the Common Core State Standards is an important step toward the improvement of quality education nationwide. States have come together to develop standards that are internationally benchmarked and include the knowledge and skills that students must learn to succeed in college and career.
"The nation's governors and chief state school officers are to be commended for their leadership. These English Language Arts and mathematics standards have been developed by the states, for the states, based on research and best practices. They have benefited from extensive input from teachers, school leaders, parents, business and civic leaders, civil rights leaders, higher education and the public. These standards will help teachers, students and parents know what is needed for students to succeed in college and careers, and will enable states, school districts and teachers to more effectively collaborate to accelerate learning and close achievement gaps nationwide.
ITEM: Statement of Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein on Release of Common Core Standards
NEW YORK, NY-–June 3, 2010. The following information was released by the office of the mayor of New York: "The Common Core State Standards, released yesterday by the National Governors Association and the Council for Chief State School Officers, are an important step forward in education reform and should be adopted quickly with few changes. These rigorous standards - which are backed by extensive research and supported by educators, school district leaders and President Obama - will go a long way toward improving college readiness among students in New York City and across the nation.
ITEM: AFT Innovation Fund Supports Teacher Role in Common Core Standards
Washington--July 11, 2011. The American Federation of Teachers today announced a third round of AFT Innovation Fund grants, which will support union-led efforts to implement the Common Core State Standards, develop new models for urban public schools, and design approaches to nurture effective teaching. The awards were announced during TEACH, the AFT’s biennial educational issues conference.
ITEM: Common Core Standards will Level the Playing Field
American Teacher September 2011
Detroit--July 28, 2012. . . . For the first time, the Innovation Fund is supporting local unions in redesigning the school day to expand learning time—for students, and for teachers. The union supports expanded learning time so that students can have access to a rich, well-rounded curriculum and the extracurricular activities vital to their personal and social development. In addition, finding time for teachers to collaborate as professionals is essential so that they can improve student achievement.
Detroit-- July 28, 2012. The American Federation of Teachers, with British partner TES Connect, today officially launched "Share My Lesson," the nation's largest free collection of classroom resources created by teachers, for teachers, including a new section of materials for developing curricula based on the Common Core State Standards.
"Share My Lesson allows educators to share tried-and-true ideas, lessons and teaching tools with their colleagues to improve the quality of teaching in America," AFT President Randi Weingarten said.
By: Bob Busch
August 17, 2012
The shell bill commits.
“Pensioner’s to horse” the sneaky bastards have showed their hand. On Feb 1 2012 rep. Terry Link introduced Senate Bill 3168. It is about 3 pages and sets some guidelines about how much money a retired teacher can make without penalty. It also prevents school districts from filling teaching positions with subs, on a permanent basis. A couple of minor changes later it passed the Illinois Senate on March 28,2012 and was sent to the House.
Two readings later, on May 31, 2012, it was sent to die in the House Rules committee. Yesterday Barbara Flynn Currie introduced the 136-page House Amendment 002 and passed it during a meeting of the Rules committee. Now it is off to the Personnel and Pensions Committee Hearing Aug 17 2012 9:30AM Capitol Building Room 114 Springfield, IL - House Floor Amendment 2.
This needs a real lawyer to study its provisions, but I went through it and to me it looks like Gov. Quinn’s pension plan. Without the pension swap. Look out Friday!