"Educators need to prepare kids to be career and college ready, but they also need to prepare them for their present world. The Common Core State Standards set out to do that. They're not perfect, but they are a starting point" (Peter DeWitt).
The standards are not a curriculum. Standards are targets for what students should know and be able to do. Curricula are the instructional plans and strategies that educators use to help their students reach those expectations. Central to a supportive school are teachers, administrators, and other caring adults who take a personal interest in each student and in the success of each student. Join us throughout November as we look at how we are designing course content, choosing appropriate instructional strategies, developing learning activities, continuously gauging student understanding, adjusting instruction accordingly, and involving parents and families as partners to support our students' success.
A whole child approach to education is essential to realizing the promise of the standards. Only when students are healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged will they be able to meet our highest expectations and realize their fullest potential.
The Whole Child Podcast
Download the Whole Child Podcast Thursday, November 7, for a discussion on supporting students and the Common Core. You'll hear from
- Peter DeWitt, an elementary school principal in New York and the School Administrators Association of
New one-page profiles of the 2013 National Blue Ribbon schools highlight each school's mission, demographics, culture, and goals. The 286 schools—210 elementary schools, 22 middle schools, 53 high schools, and one K–12 school—represent promising ideas in different settings, from rural areas to major cities. Schools were recognized in one of two categories: Exemplary High Performing, based on overa
11-7-13 THE WHOLE CHILD BLOG Common Core: An Educator's Perspective — Whole Child Education
Common Core: An Educator's Perspective — Whole Child Education: THE WHOLE CHILD BLOGCommon Core: An Educator’s PerspectiveNovember 7, 2013 by Steven WeberIf the state of North Carolina decides to pull the plug on the Common Core State Standards, it will be a slap in the face to the teachers and administrators who have spent countless hours (most on their own time without reimbursement) preparing t