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Monday, April 22, 2013

Time for Teacher Unions to Hop Off the Common Core Train - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher

Time for Teacher Unions to Hop Off the Common Core Train - Living in Dialogue - Education Week Teacher:


Time for Teacher Unions to Hop Off the Common Core Train

The two largest teacher unions in the US have positioned themselves as active supporters of the Common Core (wanted to be national) Standards. A visit to the NEA web site reveals President Dennis Van Roekel's columnpraising the project.
He writes:
CCSS offers a vivid, practical example of NEA's Leading the Professions initiative, a three-part plan to transform the teaching profession and accelerate student learning. Educators will have the opportunity to translate these broad standards into creative, relevant, and engaging class lessons that help students learn in new ways that truly prepare them for lifelong learning. This is not to downplay anyone wrestling with doubt about Common Core - states will struggle, some educators will chafe - but as long as we can accept this, and embrace the transition, educators and public education can come out ahead.
The American Federation of Teachers has a bit of a mixed message. On the one hand, we have the