Common core conversations . . .

In a post last week I shared how Indiana has become the first state to pull back from implementation of the common core state standards, CCSS.  Last night, we had the first of two meetings in our system for parents focused on the required implementation of these same standards in our schools that was attended by 46 elementary parents. Wednesday will be an opportunity for secondary parents.  The conversation and questions last night covered much of what we are seeing and hearing around the country with some people knowing little about them and wondering why we are making the change to those more knowledgeable that are concerned with the standards for a variety of reasons and wanting us to resist the change.  We cannot, however, resist implementation and have our students as ready as possible for the state-mandated common core aligned assessments in Spring 2015. Given this, we have a moral obligation to respond to this mandate by focusing our energy on aligning what we teach to what these assessments will ask of our students.

As I shared in the previous post, only time will tell if Indiana's pull back is the beginning of a trend or an anomaly due to the political situation in that state.  The map below from Education Week shows strong support for the standards across the country.  On a related issue, still no word from the federal education department on the status of our NCLB waiver.