Elia: We Are Sticking with Common Core, No Matter What the Public Thinks
State Superintendent MaryEllen Elia said Néw York would stick with Common Core, no matter that public opinion does not support it.
A Siena College poll found that 64% of Néw York voters either oppose Common Core or thinks it has made no difference.
She also said, ““The United States used to lead the world educationally, but we’ve fallen to the middle of the pack. Our students are lagging behind, and the global economy is growing more competitive every day.”
Actually, that’s not true. The U.S. never led the world on test scores. When the first international tests were given in the 1960s, the U.S. students came in last. Yet over the next 50 years, our nation surpassed the other 11 nations that took the same test by every measure: economic productivity, technological innovation, military might, creativity, and democratic institutions. The test scores of 15-year-olds do not predict our future. The policies of our government, the decisions of corporations to outsource jobs, our treatment of our children and communities matter more.
When I met Commissioner Ekia, I have her a copy of “Reign of Error,” which explains this in greater detail. Obviously she hasn’t had time to read it.
Given the debacle of the Gates teacher evaluation in Hillsborough County, where Elia was superintendent until January, she should rethink her views.Elia: We Are Sticking with Common Core, No Matter What the Public Thinks | Diane Ravitch's blog:
