Why A Great Principal Burned Out – And What Might Have Helped | Gatsby In L.A.

Why A Great Principal Burned Out – And What Might Have Helped | Gatsby In L.A.:

Why A Great Principal Burned Out – And What Might Have Helped

 Boxes crowd the hallways, moving in and moving out. I’m in an empty office at Animo Phillis Wheatley Middle School in South L.A. talking to Principal Nat Pickering, who has resigned after three years so that he can go back to being a teacher. Back when I was teaching, I worked with him; he was a history teacher for years before he became Assistant Principal of our school. I will forever be indebted to Nat, who despite being insanely busy, voluntarily met with me two or three times a month to coach me on the plethora of problems I was having in my various classes; he helped me shape my curriculum, talked me through issues with students and, more times than I can count, simply listened to me venting.

In 2011, the LA School Board took over Henry Clay Middle School on 122nd and Western Avenue in South L.A., one of the most historically troubled schools in the city, with chronically low test scores and continual issues on campus of absenteeism, fighting and chaos. The board turned the school over to the Green Dot charter system. Green Dot divided the school into two separate, smaller schools, renamed them and gave each its own principal. Nat was asked to be principal of one of them.

Now, after three years as Principal of Animo Phillis Wheatley, he’s leaving the job to go back to being a classroom teacher. By all accounts, his stint at the school has been successful. Why would such a talented principal choose to leave the job?

Amidst the boxes, in the empty office, he reflects on his three years at the school. “The first year was a shock,” he says frankly. “In retrospect, we were a little naïve about what we were getting into.” Unlike many schools in South Los Angeles, Animo Phillis Wheatley has a large percentage of parents who themselves attended the school back when it was Henry Clay. “Henry Clay used to be synonymous with getting your ass kicked. ‘I survived Why A Great Principal Burned Out – And What Might Have Helped | Gatsby In L.A.:

Time-Capsule Teaching | My Island View

Time-Capsule Teaching | My Island View:

Time-Capsule Teaching

July 11, 2014 by Tom Whitby @tomwhitby

Have you ever been witness to a time capsule being opened?  If you are not familiar with such events it is very simple. People select items that represent their culture or personal lives, and place them in a container to be sealed up for a long period of time. After a few decades the container is opened up at some sort of ceremony and people look at what was the height of technology, and life, decades ago. I guess we older folks get to appreciate those types of events more than the younger people, because the items in the time capsule usually do not need to be explained to us, as they need to be to the younger generations. I guess the fascination with time capsules is dependent on the apparent and dramatic effect technology has had on the culture represented by the encapsulated items which were selected.

It is one thing to study and talk about how technology and learning has made great strides in the field of medicine, but it is another conversation entirely when one experiences finding blood-letting tools in a time capsule. It prompts a great conversation that is lost in a textbook version of such events. It usually elicits from the youth questions like “What the hell were they thinking?” Of course the field of Medicine has probably developed faster and in more directions than any other field. I used to do a presentation where I would show a slide of a 19^th Century operating room, followed by a picture of an operating room of today. The contrast was inimitable. Since this was a presentation for educators I showed a picture of a 19^th Century classroom, followed by a class of today. It was the laughter of the audience that was inimitable at that point. There was little change. The upsetting point here is that if I were to do that presentation again, it would probably still hold true for the slow change in too many American classrooms.

As I engaged some of my connected colleagues in Edchat last week, we were discussing how the education system pays lip service to asking for innovation in education and for teachers to be innovative, while at the same time putting in place policies and mandates to stifle any such notion a teacher might have.

I pointed out how we are supposed to be teaching our kids how to be effective, competitive, and educated in the world in which they will live, while using tools 

E-rate Program Modernized - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education)

E-rate Program Modernized - Year 2014 (CA Dept of Education):

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Applauds FCC Vote to Expand Internet Access for Schools and Libraries

SACRAMENTO—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson applauded a ruling by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today that marks a major step toward preparing students for the global economy by expanding Internet access for schools and libraries.

The FCC voted today to modernize the E-rate program and boost support for wireless connectivity for schools and libraries. This action is designed to expand wireless access, make E-rate dollars go further, and deliver faster, simpler, and more efficient applications and other processes. Known formally as the federal Schools and Libraries Program, E-rate established a surcharge on long-distance telephone bills in 1997 that provides discounts to assist schools and libraries in obtaining affordable telecommunications and Internet access.

"Our schools, society, and economy thrive on interconnectivity," Torlakson said. "Today's action will not only help narrow the digital divide among students, but also help us reach and teach every child so they will be prepared for the world that awaits them."

Torlakson has championed efforts to update E-rate. In March 2012, he convened his Education Technology Task Force to bring 21st century tools into California's classrooms so that no child is left offline. He has also brought together other state superintendents via the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to work together on this issue.

Last September, Torlakson went to Washington, D.C., to push for increased federal assistance to provide broadband access for all students and schools across California. While there, he co-chaired the CCSSO's Digital Learning Task Force to discuss and meet with members of the FCC, the White House, and the U.S. Department of Education. He also met with U.S. Senators to discuss E-rate.

In June of last year, President Barack Obama proposed modernizing the E-rate program as part of his ConnectED initiative, which Torlakson at the time called "a huge step in the right direction." The FCC opened a public comment period soon afterward. Torlakson encouraged local superintendents and other education stakeholders across California to weigh in, and the California Department of Education also submitted its comments.

Among the state's priorities are expanding the program; making it easier to apply for and receive funding; ensuring the flexibility to take advantage of future technologies; distributing funding according to highest-priority needs; and allowing for adequate bandwidth to support wireless access as schools continue moving toward a one-to-one computer ratio.

For more information on today's vote, visit the Federal Communications Commission's]  Web site. For information on how the state uses the Schools and Libraries Program and the California Teleconnect Fund to provide telecommunications discounts to ­­schools in the state, visit the California Department of Education's E-rate Web page.

# # # #

Tom Torlakson — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5206, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 7-11-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit:

Draft Revision Of Lcap Moves Forward

By John Fensterwald | EdSource  | http://bit.ly/1r4JKNJ July 10, 2014 |Members of the State Board of Education uniformly praised the way school districts have created plans to comply with California’s new school improvement and accountability system, but said Thursday that students should have more of a voice in the process. They agreed to move ahead with modest proposed changes in regulations

by smf / 28min 

Governor Signs Bill Reinforcing Teachers’ Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting Requirements

By Theresa Harrington Contra Costa Times | http://bit.ly/1mTaoHq 7/10/2014 11:51:18 AM PDT  ::  SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill to help teachers better understand their mandated obligation to report suspected child abuse or neglect to law enforcement or child protective services. When teachers apply for credentials or renewals, they are now required to sign statements

by smf / 3min hide  //  save

Getting Real: GROUNDING VERGARA IN THE REALITIES OF TEACHING IN CALIFORNIA

By guest bloggers Julia Koppich and Daniel Humphrey | On California | Education Week | http://bit.ly/1mSWSne July 10, 2014 11:12 PM |The recent ruling by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu striking down parts of California's long held teacher tenure laws has roiled California's educational landscape.  Whatever the impact of the ruling, one thing is clear.  Whether one supports or opposes

4 by smf / 57min 

Aft Mulls Officially Abandoning Support For Common Core

By Sandy Fitzgerald, Newsmax.com | http://nws.mx/1keIUpV Friday, 11 Jul 2014 04:02 PM  ::  A vote on Sunday could lead to the American Federation of Teachers backing away from Common Core standards, despite having been a staunch supporter of the controversial program for years. The union plans to underwrite grants from $20,000 to $30,000 to encourage teachers to design projects to rewrite and

by smf / 13min 

GOP’s KASHKARI CRASHES TEACHERS’ UNION CONFAB IN L.A.

by Joel B. Pollak, The Breitbart Report | http://bit.ly/1mHmkdD   11 Jul 2014, 12:23 PM PDT  ::  LOS ANGELES -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari held a press conference at the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) conference in Los Angeles, demanding school reform and attacking incumbent Democrat Gov. Jerry Brown for doing nothing to stop the violation of the civil rights of

by smf / 11min 

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit 7-9-14

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: California Court: CORRUPTION IS NOT SUFFICIENT REASON TO CLOSE A HIGH-SCORING CHARTER SCHOOLBy Diane Ravitch, from her blog | http://is.gd/Ar1v9e July 6, 2014  ::  For a few years, the American Indian Model Charter Schools in Oakland, California, were the most celebrated charter schools in the nation, beloved especially by the conservative and rightwing

by mike simpson / 22h 

AFT's Weingarten Tells Teachers: 'Be a Little Badass,' 'Engage in Conflict':

AFT'S WEINGARTEN TELLS TEACHERS: 'BE A LITTLE BADASS,' 'ENGAGE IN CONFLICT'

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by JOEL B. POLLAK 11 Jul 2014, 1:05 PM PDT 2POST A COMMENT

LOS ANGELES -- American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten told thousands of teachers to "be a little badass" in fighting against "so-called reformers" challenging teacher tenure and union protections.

Echoing the Democratic Party class warfare election themes, Weingarted attacked the Koch brothers, lamented the "purchasing power of the wealthy" in politics, and blasted the U.S. Supreme Court as "Supreme Court, Inc."

Weingarten was bipartisan, however, in her attacks on school reformers, singling out Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, as well as former Florida governor Jeb Bush (R) for "promoting competition and test-obsession."

The AFT is particularly concerned about the emergence of a constituency for school reform among Democrats and the black community. Therefore it is supporting a new group called "Democrats for Public Education." Weingarten touted the new pro-union organization as an alternative to Democrats for Education Reform. The new group will be co-chaired by former Democratic governors Jennifer Granholm (Michigan) and Ted Strickland (Ohio), as well as by Democratic National Committee vice-chair and CNN contributor Donna Brazile.

In a lengthy address, Weingarten also took a skeptical approach to the Common Core curriculum, which conservative activists have also begun to oppose. While acknowledging that there were different views within the union about the importance of standards, and that some AFT members were involved in drafting Common Core, she was concerned that "teacher voices have not been strongly enough represented" in shaping the new standards, she said. The conference delegates will consider a resolution on Common Core later in the weekend.

Echoing recent calls from liberals for more political "conflict," Weingarten called for members to "find common ground and engage in conflict--without fear of either." She also noted that Republican Gov. Scott Walker's roll-back of collective bargaining in Wisconsin was a reminder that "elections matter." She implied that it was not enough to elect Democrats: a pro-teachers' union Bill de Blasio, she said, was preferable to a Rahm Emanuel.

7-11-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.:

Norm Scott from AFT in LA. “Midwesterners are too nice.”

Photo: Norm Scott. Voters supporting CTU CC reso stand in support – est 25-30%. - Norm Scott is a blogger and retired NY school teacher. Since we were not allowed in, we were watching the Education Issues Committee debate from outside the glass doors. With long lines at the mic, it was clear that Chicago TU people did not have the muscle to win the room over to its anti- common core resolution to

by Fred Klonsky / 17min 

Ten minute drawing. Security concerns.

1 by Fred Klonsky / 15min 

Old and invisible in the NEA.

Lillian Rubin died last month at the age of 90. The psychologist Lillian Rubin died last month at the age of 90. Rubin wrote about women, the relationships between mothers and daughters and, more recently, about ageism. I don’t know about you, but the chirpy tales that dominate the public discussion about aging — you know, the ones that tell us that age is just a state of mind, that “60 is the ne

by Fred Klonsky / 27min 

I left Denver very pleased with the results.

The American Federation of Teachers is meeting in LA this weekend. As I write this they are debating a resolution on the Common Core that was drafted by my friends in the Chicago Teachers Union and adopted by their House of Delegates. Randi Weingarten has already said that if the delegates choose to follow the lead of the National Education Association – which met in Denver last week- and vote fo

by Fred Klonsky / 1h 

7-10-14 Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher

Fred Klonsky | Daily posts from a retired public school teacher who is just looking at the data.: Brant Rosen. Tragedy in Gaza: Reckoning with Root Causes- Rabbi Brant Rosen is a congregational rabbi in Evanston and the co-founder/co-chair of the Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinical Council. It’s happening again. As of this writing, Israel has dropped 800 tons of explosives on Gaza, a strip of land r

by mike simpson / 7h 

FCC votes to transition to new high-speed Internet subsidy program for schools:

FCC votes to transition to new high-speed Internet subsidy program for schools

By Reuters
Friday, July 11, 2014 15:09 EDT

 (Reuters) – U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Friday voted along party lines to begin to transition E-Rate, the largest U.S. educational technology subsidy program, to focus on high-speed Internet and increasingly on Wi-Fi in the next few years.

In a 3-2 vote, the FCC approved Chairman Tom Wheeler’s proposal to phase out E-Rate spending on older technologies such as pagers, shift focus to high-speed Internet and commit $2 billion in the next two years to Wi-Fi, without raising the program’s budget.

The plan had faced criticisms from Republicans and Democrats alike. To quell a key concern, the final rules ensure that E-Rate’s increased focus on Wi-Fi comes secondary to schools’ and libraries’ requests to fund more basic Internet connectivity.

“While today’s item does not make all of the changes necessary to achieve each and every goal, it does make noteworthy steps in the right direction,” said Commissioner Mignon Clyburn.

E-Rate, created in 1996 and funded by fees Americans pay on their monthly phone bills, has helped connect most U.S. classrooms and public libraries to the Internet, but rules have limited how much money could fund broadband and Wi-Fi.

The FCC pledged to devote to Wi-Fi $1 billion in 2015 and another $1 billion in 2016 from unused E-Rate funds, dispensed to schools and libraries on a per-student or per-square-foot basis. After that, the FCC would target to keep spending $1 billion a year on Wi-Fi, seeking new savings from phase-outs of old technologies and more efficient bureaucracy.

“We are wringing as much as possible out of each E-rate dollar,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler had originally proposed to commit $1 billion a year for five years.

The FCC would reconsider how it dispenses Wi-Fi funding and whether to increase E-Rate’s $2.4 billion budget cap at a later time.

The lack of a budget increase had upset education labor unions and groups such as the National Education Association, which said demand far outstrips available funding. But on Friday they praised the changes to the Wi-Fi spending plan and welcomed the vote as a first step.

In their blistering dissents, Republican FCC commissioners Ajit Pai and Mike O’Rielly accused Wheeler of shutting them out of the discussion of the order, of forfeiting a chance to comprehensively reform the program in part by not truly benefiting rural schools, and of relying on fuzzy funding math, a subject especially touchy in an election year.

“Mark my words,” Pai said. “In five months, maybe six, we’ll be back at this table discussing how FCC votes to transition to new high-speed Internet subsidy program for schools:

Louisiana Educator: Obama Needs Better Advice on Education #AFT14

Louisiana Educator: Obama Needs Better Advice on Education:

Obama Needs Better Advice on Education

Four well respected teachers who teach in high poverty schools got to have lunch with President Obama recently and give him their suggestions about how to get some of our best teachers to teach disadvantaged students. One of the teachers who has ablog wrote a post describing the meeting and made several valid points about the challenges facing teachers in such schools.

But he forgot to mention the most important point that should have been made in this discussion with the president. The biggest obstacle to getting excellent experienced teachers to teach in high poverty schools are the policies promoted by his Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan  that drive the best teachers out of those schools. Using No Child Left Behind rules and Race to the Top incentives, Duncan has bashed and stigmatized all educators who work in the most challenging schools. Why would any self respecting professional educator want to teach in a school that is always referred to as a failing school or is in constant danger of being closed or reorganized (forced into turnaround mode) requiring the firing at least half the teachers and all administrators?

The problem starts with semantics. When a school serves a high percentage of at risk students who happen to score lower on the almighty standardized tests, the system classifies the school as a failing school. You see it is not politically correct to ever place responsibility on the students, the parents or even crime ridden communities where children have to spend most of their energy just surviving from day to day. No, the system of evaluating schools Duncan has encouraged stigmatizes all educators and administrators in such a school even if they are doing a relatively good job for the students they serve.  For example, in Louisiana recently, all alternative schools statewide (schools that specialize in serving low performers, students at risk of dropping out and major discipline problems) were all rated as "F" schools. But by definition, these schools were serving low performers. The real purpose of such schools is to try in every Louisiana Educator: Obama Needs Better Advice on Education:

7-11-14 The Whole Child Blog — Core Criteria for Collaborative Conversations

The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education:

Core Criteria for Collaborative Conversations

The Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards have drawn new attention to how these skills are developed across curriculum and across grade bands. In their 2014 ASCD Annual Conference session, "Collaborative Conversations: Meeting Anchor Standard 1 in Speaking and Listening," authors Nancy Frey and Doug Fisher were enthusiastic about the potential within these curricular shifts. "

by Laura Varlas / 6min 

7-10-14 The Whole Child Blog — Reflect or Refract: Top 3 Tips for the Reflective Educator

The Whole Child Blog — Whole Child Education: Reflect or Refract: Top 3 Tips for the Reflective EducatorPost written by Barry Saide and Jasper Fox, Sr. The dictionary definition of reflection states that reflection is light bouncing off a flat plane and returning back at the same angle. This allows us to see an image clearly, like when looking in a mirror. Reflection is an almost perfect represent

by mike simpson / 17h 

#AFT14 solidaridad: Fundraiser for Dr. George McKenna, come support the communty and teacher's choice for LAUSD

solidaridad: Fundraiser for Dr. George McKenna, come support the communty and teacher's choice for LAUSD:

Fundraiser for Dr. George McKenna, come support the communty and teacher's choice for LAUSD

Dr. George McKenna Fundraiser by Robert D. Skeels

Dr. George McKenna Fundraiser

Chicago Teachers Union | CTU Common Core Position Paper #AFT14

Chicago Teachers Union | CTU Common Core Position Paper:

CTU Common Core Position Paper

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS REPORT HERE.

Common Core Mission Statement:

The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.[1]

John Dewey:

With the advent of democracy and modern industrial conditions, it is impossible to foretell definitely just what civilization will be twenty years from now. Hence it is impossible to prepare the child for any precise set of conditions. To prepare him for the future life means to give him command of himself; it means so to train him that he will have the full and ready use of all his capacities; that his eye and ear and hand may be tools ready to command, that his judgment may be capable of grasping the conditions under which it has to work, and the executive forces be trained to act economically and efficiently.[2]

Martin Luther King:

We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate.

If we are not careful, our colleges will produce a group of close-minded, unscientific, illogical propagandists, consumed with immoral acts. Be careful, "brethren!" Be careful, teachers! [3]

INTRODUCTION

The Chicago Teachers Union is committed to helping members do their best work and, since the Common Core Standards (CCS) are required to be taught in Chicago public schools, the CTU supports teachers in this work through professional development and curriculum development. However, as educators, we are also obligated to question the true purpose of CCS, and expose flaws in the standards themselves, their developmental appropriateness, the testing requirements, uses of test results, equity of opportunity, their roll-out time frame, and their implementation. As the preceding quotations indicate, the CCS reflect a far narrower vision of education than that of Dewey or King. 

This paper’s purpose is to stimulate thought and discussion about the context of CCS roll out across the country, specifically in Illinois and Chicago. The standards themselves may or may not turn out to be useful frameworks for teachers and appropriate for students; however, this paper is not mainly an appraisal of the standards themselves, but a critique of the idea that common standards across all states and district contexts are the solution for education’s woes. On the contrary, research and careful study reveal that the CCS are likely to increase the opportunity gap experienced by students of color and low-income students; exacerbate the over-use of standardized tests; and increase the influence and market share of vendors, private consultants, and other education profiteers in the public schools.

Study after study (e.g., Rothstein, 2012[4], Ladd, 2012[5]) has documented that the root cause of educational failings is poverty and racism. Common Core Standards, like other “reforms” promoted by the corporate elite, ignore these vital issues entirely.  U.S. education could benefit from a dose of Finland’s approach. Students there regularly achieve high scores on the international PISA test, but not because they emphasize standards or standardized testing. Instead, the idea that every child should have the same opportunity to learn, regardless of family background or income, has been Finland’s primary education policy driver for the last thirty years. Education there is seen first and foremost as an instrument to even out social inequality.[6]

The rhetoric of the education reform movement champions CCS as a tool to create civil rights opportunities for Black and Latino students, but the reality is that new CCS-aligned assessments are used to unfairly label students, punish teachers, and close schools.  For example, when New York City students took the CCS –aligned state test in 2013, general pass rates were low--below 30 percent. However, Black and Latino students passed at lower rates than White and Asian students. In math, for example, 15 percent of Black students and 19 percent of Latino students passed, compared to 50 percent of White students and 61 percent of Asian students. On the English Language Arts exam, only 3 percent of non-native speakers and 6 percent of students with disabilities were deemed proficient.[7]  Rhetoric about “failing schools,” justified largely by these test scores, enabled the New York state Department of Education to close or phase out 50 schools and cut education spending by 14%, leading to larger classes and fewer textbooks.  While money, time, and other resources pour into (and go out of) school districts all over the country in support of anything labeled Common Core, little if anything is being done on a national scale  to guarantee educational equity.

CLOSE READING

A look at the standards themselves reveals troubling features as well. The strategy of “close reading” is a central focus of the English Language Arts Standards. As explained by Timothy Shanahan (2013) inAmerican Educator,[8]  “These standards will likely lead to the greatest changes in reading instruction seen for generations.” (p. 5) Students are expected to read the text three times. The first time, students read to understand key ideas and details; the second, to understand the craft and structure of the text; the third, to “critically evaluate the text and compare its ideas and approach with those of other texts.” (p. 10)

Close Reading is a useful strategy, one commonly used by book reviewers and others, but the emphasis given to this technique in the CCS is disproportionate to its usefulness and pushes out other important purposes for reading.  For example, reading for pleasure leads students to develop imagination, worldliness, and vocabulary skills, as well as an appreciation for literature. Isn’t it important to help children develop a love of reading and literature, and not just read for information or to critique, evaluate, and compare? The best way for children to develop their reading abilities is to read.

Proponents of CCS-style close reading argue that reading should be decontextualized. For example, David Coleman, a chief author of the standards, and now President of The College Board, created a video on the close reading of Martin Luther King’s famous Letter from Birmingham Jail.[9] Coleman (2012) emphasizes the need for students to pay attention only to “what lies within the four corners of the text”. King’s letter was written in response to white clergy, who disapproved of the campaign he led against segregation by downtown businesses and for which he was jailed. It is particularly disturbing that Coleman would emphasize non-contextual reading of a text so rich in historical background and one still relevant to the lives of many CPS (and other) students. It is an example of how the Common Core idea of close reading, in dismissing the relevancy of students’ thoughts and experiences, undermines students’ potential to connect with the material and learn more from it.

As Rethinking Schools author Daniel E. Ferguson (2013) points out,[10]

There is a grand irony in the last few minutes of the video when Coleman praises King for not just responding to what was in the clergymen's letter, “but pointing out how critical is what's not in the letter.” Why then, is it problematic to let students do the same, to let their world inform their reading? …What if King had done only a close reading of the letter from the Southern clergymen he was addressing? What if he did not allow his own reading of the world to inform his understanding of the white clergymen's words? What leadership and wisdom would have been lost?

Close reading replaces the “text to self” strategy, which has been taught for years and values learning from relatives or members of students’ immediate communities. Close reading contrasts with critical reading, which incorporates close reading but emphasizes what is not in the text as well as what is in it. Critical reading allows students the opportunity to relate what they are reading to both personal experiences and other texts (the “text to text” strategy). Context allows the reader to make personal connections and build on previous reading or knowledge. Common Core gives undo emphasis to learning from isolated pockets of text.

Insisting that teachers focus on “text dependent” questions narrows the scope of classroom discussion. The primary (perhaps the only) place that students encounter text they must read out of context is on standardized tests. Coleman (2012) implied this in his recommendations to curriculum publishers, stating that since “80 to 90 percent of the reading standards require text-dependent analysis, aligned curriculum materials should have a similar percentage of text-dependent questions” (p. 6).[11]The narrow view of close reading emphasized by Coleman and other Common Core authors may make students better test takers, but it is unlikely to make them better readers or more learned individuals.

DEVELOPMENTAL APPROPRIATENESS

The early childhood CCS were designed by working backward from College and Career Readiness at the senior high school level, without taking into account developmental appropriateness. More than 500 early childhood professionals, including prominent members of the field, made this clear in the Joint Statement of Early Childhood Health and Education Professionals on the Common Core Standards Initiative(2010). The statement points to the need for support, encouragement, active hands-on learning, and play at the early childhood level. They describe the long hours of didactic instruction, scripted teaching, narrowing of the curriculum, and overuse of standardized tests with young children that have already resulted from current state standards, and call for the withdrawal of CCS for children in grades K-3.[12]

The CCS require Kindergarten children to master more than 90 skills. Yet, research reveals[13] that early skill development, such as “Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet” does not correlate to later reading proficiency.  Instead, research supports a nurturing environment, project based interdisciplinary learning, and guided play to develop executive functioning (staying on task, problem solving, working collaboratively, planning, conflict resolution, organizing and delaying gratification). This nurturing environment needs to be devoid of the stress related to discreet skill mastery. The social and emotional skills appropriately developed in the early years of school lay the basis for students’ learning behaviors in ELA, Mathematics, and other subjects.

The basis for love of literature should, in formal schooling, begin in the pre-primary through early elementary grades. It is therefore crucial that the study of literary text (fiction) be valued at least as much as the study of non-fiction texts in these grades.  Common Core Standards, however, under-emphasize reading for pleasure. For example, CCS emphasize the reading of folk and fairy tales for skill mastery purposes such as identifying story element, patterning, rhyming, main idea, and character study. While mastery skills are important, at the early childhood level reading should primarily be for pleasure (Learning to Read) rather than a chore or process for gathering information (Reading to Learn).

TESTING and CCS

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) failed to significantly increase academic performance or positively affect the education of underserved Black and Latino students[14], and had a negative impact on curricula and instructional practices. This bodes ill for CCS. The experience of NCLB suggests that the students most likely to be behind—those who are poor, African-American, Latino, and/or go to segregated Chicago Teachers Union | CTU Common Core Position Paper: