The federally mandated, nationally standardized education program Common Core has many parents and teachers concerned. For starters, it imposes rigorous testing onto students, forcing curriculums to be molded around exams, not necessarily around learning or the development of critical thinking. Additionally, Common Core is part of a system developed by corporations and aims to prepare children for the life of being an employee, not a change-maker.
The program is causing friction around the nation, and a slow-burn rebellion of sorts is underway. In 2015, 4th grader Sydney Smoot made national headlines when she eloquently ripped standardized testing at a school board meeting.
So what happens to a school and the students therein when Common Core is abandoned altogether?
Mason Classical Academy (MCA), a charter school in Naples, Florida has been applauded for its testing results in English Language Arts after the school ditched Common Core.
In a letter to parents of MCA, principal David Hull explained the dilemma facing the school and its students:
There is, however, a serious conundrum we face as a classical, public charter school: Not only are we to use our own curriculum and offer a different choice than the regular public schools, but we are also mandated to pass the state test. This begs some questions. Which is more critical, a solid education or passing state tests? Can we accomplish delivering both? Is it ethical to focus more on state standards than a rigorous curriculum influenced by one of the most prestigious colleges in the world, Hillsdale College? Are we able to accomplish our mission with state mandates and Common Core breathing down our necks? Do we have our students practice for state tests on computers because tests are now computer-based? Are our students at an automatic disadvantage because we choose paper and pencil over keyboards and mice? These are difficult questions to answer, and ones that will be revealed only by time. [Source]
To confront this issue head on, the school tried something of which many others should take notice. It developed its own educational standards based on proper discipline on the part of students, respectful dedication on the part of teachers, and a platform of virtues that have historically been prevalent in classical education.
Character traits such as respect, integrity, citizenship, and responsibility are not only explicitly taught during assemblies, but are embedded throughout classical literature, history, and fine arts instruction. Where are those standards mandated by the state? [Source]
Among this programmatic shift at MCA was a return to phonics-based learning when teaching young children how to read. Common Core has been widely criticized for complicating the process by which children learn to read, confusing them by making them memorize whole words before learning how to read sounds and recognize syllables. In short, Common Core abandons phonics-based learning, and when MCA returned to this approach, the results were outstanding.
It was hardly surprising, either, to learn that students at MCA were at the top across Florida as well. Third graders at MCA were in the top 2 percent in the state. In fifth grade, MCA students were in the top 1 percent for Florida. The results speak for themselves. [Source]
Furthermore:
Thanks to the classical approach of phonics, an impressive 90 percent of the third-grade students at Mason Classical Academy were proficient in English Language Arts, compared to just 58 percent in the county overall, most of whom rely on Common Core. In fact, the MCA third-graders were in Florida’s top two percent, while fifth graders from the academy ranked in the state’s top one percent. [Source]
In today’s conformist culture it is no surprise that MCA has been attacked by others for their willingness to take control of their own standards, even though the results speak for themselves.
Final Thoughts
For those serious about exposing Common Core, its clear that as a conspiracy, the program appears to be designed to crush divergent thinking, offering an inroad into the minds of our children which is to be exploited by the interests of the State.
Common core children are not allowed to synthesize latent creativity, and they spend little time in nature. They also are not given an inspiring human mentor, as much as a by-the-book curriculum regurgitating ‘teacher’ who has also been dumbed down by the educational system. This person is more concerned, through their own educational brainwashing, to apply the latest psychological theories, without truly teaching a child to be on fire for learning.
Intelligence agencies also infiltrate the educational system in order to train and recruit future elite personnel. People are chosen based on their ability to follow orders, not diverge from the transhumanist agenda. Common core is a massive take-over of the educational system, similar to the takeover of the agricultural system, our water, our banking system, etc. In short, it benefits the military industrial complex and a handful of corporations, not your children’s budding intellectual genius. [Source]
How long will it be before other schools in America see the light and follow MCA in ditching Common Core?
Read more articles by Alex Pietrowski.
Alex Pietrowski is an artist and writer concerned with preserving good health and the basic freedom to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. He is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and Offgrid Outpost, a provider of storable food and emergency kits. Alex is an avid student of Yoga and life.
This article (School Ditches Common Core then Soars to #1 in English Language Arts) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Alex Pietrowski and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.
Fake news alert! “The federally mandated, nationally standardized education program Common Core has many parents and teachers concerned. For starters, it imposes rigorous testing onto students, forcing curriculums to be molded around exams, not necessarily around learning or the development of critical thinking.
Common Core is NOT federally mandated and it was created by states. States may adopt or not; once they have adopted, they may exit the program. Testing is to raise standards and curriculum is designed at the local level. Critical thinking skills and multiple approaches to problem solving are integral.
“Forty-two of the fifty U.S. states and the District of Columbia are members of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, with the states of Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, Alaska, Nebraska, Indiana, and South Carolina not adopting the initiative at a state levelAt least 12 states have introduced legislation to repeal the standards outright,[1] and Indiana has since withdrawn from the standards..
Alabama initially adopted the Standards, but the state rescinded adoption in November 2013. Governor Robert Bentley cited federal interventions as a reason for his opposition, saying he was opposed because of “federal control of our education system. And I’m opposed to the Common Core because of the potential for federal intrusion.”[2] The state’s curriculum, now called the College and Career Ready Standards, is still aligned with the Common Core standards.”
The only role the Federal government plays is to providing funding for those who adopt Common Core or any alternative which offers to improve standards. Behind the right wing anti-Common Core lies are the corporations seeking to privatize education for profit.
Secy of Education Devos, billionaire sister of far right war profiteer Eric Prince, is leading the propaganda assault with lies: including denying that Common Core, now adopted by 41 states, does not exist.
” “There isn’t really any common core any more. Each state is able to set the standards for their state. They may elect to adopt very high standards for their students to aspire to and to work toward. And that will be up to each state., DeVos appeared to be saying that the common-core debate has died down because ESSA leaves decisions about standards up to states. This was true even before ESSA, which was passed in late 2015. However, ESSA’s language made it clear that the education secretary can’t try to influence states’ decisions about which standards to use. This part of ESSA was a reaction to her predecessor, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who incentivized (but did not require) states to adopt the common core during the Obama administration.
Her response to Hemmer’s follow-up question, that “there isn’t really any common core any more,” doesn’t match information we published late last year showing that at least 37 states used the common core at the time…… While the number of states officially using the standards has dropped over the past half-dozen years, and many states have abandoned aligned tests developed by state consortia, the standards are still used in many states.
President Donald Trump has said repeatedly he wants to end the common core. But that would require a change in federal law. And by our calculation, what Hemmer asked DeVos about would involve withholding money from the majority of states, something that ESSA would seem to prohibit.”
It would appear that totally unqualified Secy of Education needs to educate herself about Common Core!
“
What us wrong with Common Core? For its REAL purpose it is working great!! Please read Charlotte Isberbyte Thompson’s “The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America” to understand its REAL purpose. Thompson was a top official in the Dept. of Education when the predecessor to Common Core was developed. Before leaving her job she leaked out the REAL plans of the Dept. of Education from the official documents she had. What a “coincidence” (?) that they were exactly what Common Core is today!!
So what is Common Core? It is part of a global plan run by the United Nations through UNESCO for the U.N. to control all education. The plan was originally called “Education 2000” and it was part of “education” (?) part of Agenda 21 / 2030 Agenda. You can’t create a global fascist dictatorship with smart people. You need dumbed down slaves!!
Nobody has pointed out that brainwashing (labeled as ‘education’) in the government schools is the tenth listed element of communism.
So we’re living in a communist nation?
Wall Street is a commie haven?
The top 1% are communists and communist collaborators, one and all?
“We are living in a highly organized state of socialism. The state is all; the individual is of importance only as he contributes to the welfare of the state. His property is only (his) as the state does not need it. He must hold his life and his possessions at the call of the state.”- Bernard M. Baruch in The Knickerbocker Press, Albany, New York, August 8, 1918
“We cannot expect Americans to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving Americans doses of Socialism until they suddenly awake to find out they have Communism.”- Khrushchev
Selective confiscation of money by the State from productive members of society is wielded as a weapon with a utility to the establishment completely separate from that of enabling Socialism. This confiscation is effected either explicitly by income taxation and other mechanisms, or implicitly through the inflationary effects of printing money and distributing it to welfare recipients. The establishment’s support of Socialism has nothing to do with compassion. No one of genuine, thoughtful compassion could support a system of institutionalized extortion.
According to this nonsense you posted Gaddafi’s Libya your preferred nation, since not only did it not collect taxes it disbursed energy resource income to its citizens.
Stay inane.
Common Core is an evil Indoctrination …
their objective is to measurably reduce American Youth’s sense of self and self-esteem …
I contend that the tender growth years “In Class”
while competing in the basics like a Multiplication contents ..
where the winner is left standing
these ‘self strengthening’ excersises are absent from Common Core …
these games are instrumental in building our “sense of self individuality”
… common core is killing our children’s ability to computate quickly…
And killing our children’s sense of self /self image and self-confidence…
Making them low hanging fruit for the Vampiricial pharmacological demons
Common Core’s Communist Programming Exposed: Chinese Immigrant Speaks Out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AXMmYMyyU0
Fake Teachings > Fake News & Common-Core … Reduces IQ … if you ask an AI engineer (artificial intelligence robot/designer) what the definition of intelligence is?
they’ll swiftly answer > speed of accurate resolve… Both speed and solution/s Early learning crisis: 20 percent of children unable to communicate properly at age 5 – study
http://rt.com/uk/244677-early-learning-crisis-communication/
Common Cores #1 Objective is > Marxists / Communist indoctrination Common Cores #2 Objective is
to sell books,’ Dianne Barrow said of her advocacy for Common Core. ‘Don’t even kid yourself for a heartbeat.’She added that ‘it’s all about the money. What are you, crazy? It’s all about the money.’ for her and a dumbed down populous
http://projectveritas.com/common-core-investigation/
America’s Once Great School System Corrupted by Dewey, Ayers, and Obama
http://blog.heartland.org/2016/04/americas-once-great-school-system-corrupted-by-dewey-ayers-and-obama/
Trump at CEO Business Town Hall: ‘Common Core… We Have to End It’
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/04/04/trump-town-hall-common-core-end-it/
Common Core is commonly stupid. Numbers, graphs, statistics…that teach no one a single thing. I vote for going back to allowing teachers to make their own curriculum and tests and use their own personality to teach. Otherwise, teachers are like stepford ‘wives’. Robots. Robotic teaching, dull, inhuman and a waste of educational monies!
One thing common core DOES do is get our kids ready for the real workplace; where it doesn’t matter who you are and what you bring to the business but instead how well you fill out your reports. I’ve just recently learned about these ridiculous PERFORMANCE METRICS reports. Never in my life have I seen such stupidity in business or schools. Who the hell is coming up with these ways to improve education and business?
It is scary that we are seeing the results of common core and they are flat out bad. Yay for this school to throw it out. Must be a private school not dependent on Federal monies! Common core IS the crux of Dumbing Down America!
I mean; 5+5+5 DOESN’T EQUAL 15? Have any of you actually looked at common core is all about?