CORE: Skeptical isn't paranoid

According to the Cd’A Press, if I am skeptical of another new state standard in education I am simply paranoid.

And, I am paranoid because I likely listen to some political pundits from random media outlets.

If The Press were to consider the government’s actual track record on education, quit obsessing about politics and do a tiny bit of research on Common Core, they might be able to approach the topic with less condescension and more thoughtfulness.

Some of the concerns parents and educators have with CCSS are:

• There has been no academic pilot testing. They are not internationally benchmarked. Data Companies such as InBloom (funded by Bill Gates Microsoft) and Wireless Generation (owned by Rupert Murdoch) are involved in CCSS.

• The new standards are not rigorous. A simple 4th grade math problem that should take two steps if the student has memorized their multiplication facts takes 108 steps because they are required to draw pictures to show their work. There is no written process for states to return to local control. The standards are cognitively inappropriate.

• These standards are not state led. The National Governors Association (NGA) are the sole owners and developers of the CCSS.

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the body that is in charge of implementing CCSS, lists as their partners Apple, Microsoft, Wireless Generation, IBM to name a few.

Big business, bureaucrats, data collection, lots of federal dollars - should parents be concerned? Should we investigate? Should we do our own research? Or should we take CCSS at face value? That is up to each one of us individually. But to have the CDA Press mock fair minded people with legitimate concerns is in my humble opinion arrogant, narrow minded, unfair and does nothing to ensure a healthy and productive community conversation.

SHELLEY BOWEN

Rathdrum, ID