Cracks in the Common Core Coalition: On the Right, Left, and Now in the Center, Too
In a speech in New York this morning, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten called for a moratorium on high stakes attached to Common Core assessments. A survey of AFT members found that most believe they have not received adequate professional development or instructional materials aligned to the new standards. Weingarten said tests like the ones rolled out this month in New York, created by the Pearson company, should not yet count toward student graduation requirements, and that students' scores on these Common Core-aligned exams should not yet be weighed as part of their teachers' evaluations.
She complained that in New York, new tests were given to students this spring before schools received promised new curriculum materials, which are expected to come in the fall. And she noted that while the federal government has spent $350 million to help fund the development of Common Core tests, it has not devoted any specific funding streams to teacher training on how to use the new standards in the classroom. She said:
She complained that in New York, new tests were given to students this spring before schools received promised new curriculum materials, which are expected to come in the fall. And she noted that while the federal government has spent $350 million to help fund the development of Common Core tests, it has not devoted any specific funding streams to teacher training on how to use the new standards in the classroom. She said:
I am proposing that states and districts work with educators to develop clear tasks and a clear timeline to