NYC Public School Parents: The most heartbreaking speech at last night's Common Core forum by Lorri Gumanow

NYC Public School Parents: The most heartbreaking speech at last night's Common Core forum by Lorri Gumanow:

The most heartbreaking speech at last night's Common Core forum by Lorri Gumanow

There were lots of great speeches last night at the Manhattan Regents forum with Chancellor Tisch and Commissioner King at the Spruce St. School.  Wonderful and eloquent comments from teachers, principals, and parents, including Manhattan CEC leaders Shino Tanikawa, Noah Gotbaum, Tory Frye and Sonja Jones.  But here is a magnificent speech that made many members of the audience tear up.  Shared with Lorri Gumanow's permission.

Commissioner King, Chancellor Tisch, thank you for the opportunity to share with you tonight. My name is Lorri Gumanow, and my husband and I are the proud parents of a very talented 13-year old public school student who is an actor and puppeteer, and wants to work with the Jim Henson Company someday. I am a newly retired special educator. But tonight I am here to ask you to walk in my shoes as a parent.

Our son was born 3 months premature and has several neurological disabilities and an IEP. His disabilities are not the result of poverty, poor prenatal care or poor educational opportunities. He has always thrived in the public school environment. He has had wonderful teachers, wonderful inclusive public schools, and wonderful supports.

All of a sudden he is failing. He failed the math test last year with a score of 1. What happened? The roll out of the Common Core asks 8th graders to now magically perform as 10th graders, without any attention to the skills and knowledge they might have been required to learn and practice in those 2 missing years.

Your solution is that my son just needs to try harder. Increase the rigor! No excuses! And what do you really mean every time you say, "This work?" He does 4 hours of homework every night and still fails his classroom test! If you don't pass, you are a failure, and your teacher is a failure too. Fire that bad teacher! Close that failing school! Failure is not an option. Raise the bar. Unfortunately