Transcript What is Wrong With Common Core?

1. It is NOT state led.
 It was initiated and created by private interests in
Washington, DC, without any true representation
from the states.
 Standards were “written with minimal public
awareness or participation”. There are almost
14,000 school boards in the U.S. and only 1,000
responders commented during the one month public
feedback window in 2009.
Standards were led by:
 Achieve, Inc. (a nonprofit organization comprised of education
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reformers who have been advocating national standards and
curriculum for decades.)
National Governors Association (NGA –a trade association that doesn’t
include all governors.)
Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO –another DC based
trade association), partnered with the following:
AIR (American Institute for Research –“a global leader in P-20
education.”
Textbook companies such as McGraw Hill, Pearson, & Scholastic.
Corporations such as Microsoft, Knewton, and the Data Recognition
Corporation.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
And many other “Philanthropy groups” and Corporations
Take Note:
 The AZMerit was not a state created test. It was created
by AIR (American Institute for Research). AIR is a partner
of Smarter Balanced who was given over $175 million by the
U.S. Department of Education to create standardized tests
for Common Core along with PARCC. Both AIR and
SMARTER Balanced have also received millions from the
Gates Foundation.
 Secretary Duncan’s chief of staff wrote, “…the Common
Core was intended to create a national market for
book publishers, technology companies, testing
corporations, and other vendors.”
Some say that businesses brought us these standards to
help our nation to be able to compete in the global
economy--
& Bill Gates, by far, is the largest leader in developing
and implementing the Common Core Standards and
has invested over $2.3 billion dollars.
“For the first time, there will be a large uniform base of
customers eager to buy products that can help every
kid learn and every teacher get better.” –Bill Gates [49]
2. Data Collection
 Under the Race to the Top agreement, states are
obligated to “implement a State Longitudinal
Database System (SLDS) used to track students by
obtaining personally identifiable information.” [25]
How is the data collected?
As of 2015, the Arizona Department of Education is
continually putting information into a database,
called the “AZDash”.
What type info is put into AZDash?
We do not know exactly what type of info is put into the Statewide Database.
However , in 2012 Pres. Obama made and executive order that changed FERPA
(student privacy laws) so that they may obtain the following [48]:
 The student’s name;
 The name of the student’s parent or other family members;
 The address of the student or student’s family;
 A Personal Identifier, such as the student’s SSN, student number or biometric
record (“biometric record” as used in the definition for “personally identifiable
information” means a record of one or more measurable biological or behavioral
characteristics that can be used for automated recognition of an individual.
Examples include fingerprints; retina and iris patterns; voiceprints; DNA
sequence; facial characteristics; and handwriting);
 The student’s date of birth, place of birth, and mother’s maiden name;
What info will be collected on my child
specifically from the AZMerit?
AIR (American Institute for Research) is a behavioral testing company.
 They created the test (with Smarter Balanced),
 AIR will have access to your schools’ wifi,
 AIR grades the test & reports info that will go into the database.
No one knows what type of information they will collect, not even the Arizona
Department of Education.
However we do know that they will be gathering information from your child’s test
question answers.
A behavioral research company can also easily gather very personal and sensitive
information via psychoanalysis of what your child writes.
(See http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED434337)
(Sensitive info such as religious beliefs, party affiliation, views on gun control, population
control, environmental issues, sexual preferences, etc.)
Testing companies are also know for starting their tests off with a survey.
Parents, Teachers, Principals, School
Administrators, etc… ARE NOT ALLOWED to
view the test
 Not before, during, or even after!
 Teachers, principals, and district employees are
required to sign a contract stating that they promise
not to view the test.
 Several teachers have lost their license to teach in
Arizona due to looking at questions while their
students were taking the test.
The White House Hosted a “Datapalooza” in
2012 that described other information that
they would like to obtain, such as:
 How your child is feeling a certain day? [31]
 What did your child eat for breakfast?
 What types of educational material help your child learn best? Videos,
books, digital devices?
 At what times of the day does your child learn best?
 How does your child feels about himself/herself?[31]
Don’t Believe It?
Hear it straight from the horse’s mouth:
In 2012, the White House hosted a “Datapalooza” --no joke, that’s
what they really called it!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhdwy3ASoEfm1QeH0kfNnLWUqv4lE1pPs
“The human race is about to enter into a totally data-mined existence, and it’s
going to be really fun to watch…
…Knewton students today (we have 180,000 right now, by December it will be
about 650,000 and by next year it will be in the millions and then the next year
it will be close to 10 million. And that’s just through our Pearson partnership)…
…we literally have more data on our students than any company has about
anybody else about anything –and that’s not even close…
…and when we go take that whole combined data power, that whole network of
millions, soon to be tens of millions, and eventually hundreds of millions of
people and for every single concept that your child learns… we will take that
combined power of that data network to find the perfect plan for that kid to
learn that concept.”
--Jose Ferreira, CEO of Knewton at 2012 White House Datapalooza [31]
Data, data, & more data…
In addition to traditional data points, the current P-20 system can collect
more than 400 individual pieces of data on students, including:
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Hobbies
Medical Conditions
Learning Disabilities
Religious Affiliations
Family Income
Behavioral Problems
At-Risk Status
Homework Completion
Overall Health Status
Dwelling Arrangements
Career Goals
Also, under the new FERPA laws, your child’s personally
identifiable information can be shared with companies
and organizations that helped develop and implement
the Common Core Standards, related exams, and
databases.
(This violates the 4th Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution!)
Who can info be shared with?
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Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (the biggest in Common Core);
Achieve, Inc. (Intel, Pearson, Harcourt, McGraw-Hill, Scholastic, Microsoft, HP,…);
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation;
National Governors Association (this is a trade organization & does not have to answer to
voters);
Council of Chief State School Officers (another trade organization);
American Institute for Research (AIR is a behavioral research company);
SMARTER Balanced (SBAC) and PARCC (received over $330 million of tax payer money
to develop CC tests);
The SAT College Board and ACT;
Pearson (wants to shift learning from tangible textbooks to online sources);
Knewton (“data mining children” –CEO, Jose Ferreira);
Gallup (known for national political polls);
Agilix (talks about collecting data even on a child’s feelings);
Personal.com (storing personal information to help you apply for future scholarships);
 And many, many more…
How do these companies get this
information?
The Data Review Board meets 4 times per year to review data requests.
The meetings are closed to the public.
3. Common Core is Tied to
High-stakes Testing
What does “high-stakes testing” mean?
 High stakes testing is so named because the test outcomes are
used to make important, often life-altering decisions. Such
decisions may include the denial of a high school diploma, the
repetition of a grade, the labeling of students and schools in
pejorative ways, the withholding of funding, and even the closing
of a school. Students who may do well in school all year but
fail a high stakes test may be required to attend summer
school and take the test again or spend another year in the
same grade… http://www.education.com/reference/article/high-stakes-testing1/
High Stakes Testing Has Many
Negative Consequences.
 The loss of valuable learning time due to teachers preparing students
for the test.
(Some schools are spending the entire month of March to prepare for the test.)
 Can only produce a snap shot of how a student performs that day.
(Portfolio assessments are much more effective on determining a student’s progress and knowledge)
 Reduces the importance of other educational enriching activities such as
music, art, P.E., and even history;
 Undermines American ideas of free thinking, creativity, experimentation,
freedom of expression and diversity in education;
 Has the potential to increase bullying in schools and suicide rates (as seen in
Japan, China, and South Korea);
The National Education Association (NEA) has signed on to a resolution
that calls for a reduction of standardized mandates and base school
accountability on multiple forms of measurements. [46]
NEA’s “Campaign Against Toxic Testing”:
“The overuse of standardized tests for high stakes
decisions has shortchanged students, teachers and our
education system in too many ways for far too long,”
said Dennis Van Roekel. “We’ve lost sight of the
reason tests were designed—to help gauge
students’ comprehension and progress.”
High-stakes exams have no diagnostic value
because teachers cannot learn from them
and about the needs of their students.
(These are children, not adults trying to become attorneys!)
 High-stakes testing is particularly unfair to under-
privileged schools…
These children should not be compared to areas where
more advantaged children live.
You may be able to compare apples to apples, but
children are people –not fruit.
--Diane Ravitch,
(A historian of education, an educational policy analyst,
and a research professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture,
Education, and Human Development) [42]
“What the advocates ignored is that test scores are heavily
influenced by socioeconomic status.
Standardized tests are normed on a bell curve. The upper half of the
curve has an abundance of those who grew up in favorable
circumstances, with educated parents, books in the home, regular
medical care, and well-resourced schools. Those who dominate
the bottom half of the bell curve are the kids who lack those
advantages, whose parents lack basic economic security, whose
schools are overcrowded and under-resourced.
To expect tougher standards and a renewed emphasis on
standardized testing to reduce poverty and inequality is to
expect what never was and never will be.”
We are a very diverse nation and
all have different needs:
 One size does not fit all!
Other problems with
Common Core:
 Loss of local control
 Sub-par standards that are NOT internationally
benched-marked
 They were sold to us as a bribe by the U.S. Department
of Education
 A national set of standards easily paves the way for a
national curriculum
So, if not Common Core, what should we
put in its place?
 In all honesty, we do not need national standards.
Scientific evidence shows education standards do not
improve student achievement. [45]
Our nation put a man on the moon without any type of
mandated standards!
However, if Arizona feels the need to have standards to
satisfy political public opinion, then we should put in
place:
 A true Arizona State led set of standards!
 We can bring back the previous AZ State standards that were
rated just as good as the Common Core standards. This will give
our state time to research other solutions. We really do have
some very brilliant educators within our own state!
 Other states like Massachusetts and California had previous
superior state standards that we could imitate and adopt. [43]
 Dr. Sandra Stotsky has offered Arizona the previously rated #6 in
the world ELA standards for FREE!
 We can use past assessments such as the Iowa & Standford 9.
Districts should be the ones to decide on which standardized
test to use.
How can we get rid of the national
Common Core standards/ data mining/
high-stakes testing?
Join in the effort!
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Opt out of the AzMerit (Boston Tea Party Style!)
Go to www.OptOutAZ.org
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Through Legislation
Through our Governor
Through our School Boards
Sign up for email action alerts
(email us at: [email protected])
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SPREAD THE WORD!
Our kids are worth it!
Sources:
1. Common Core fact sheet by Dr. Sandra Stotsky (CC Validation Committee Member):
http://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Common-Core-Fact-Sheet_new.pdf,
2. http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ALEC_Corporations
3. Diane Ravitch’s blog (a historian of education, an educational policy analyst, and a research professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.)
http://dianeravitch.net/2014/03/24/anthony-cody-on-the-common-core-are-they-standards/
4. http://cnmnewz.com/gates-funded-non-profit-to-oversee-common-core-aligned-curriculum/
5. Common Core ELA Standards:
http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/ELA-Appendix_B-Text-Exemplars-and-Sample-Performance-Tasks.pdf
6. https://www.edreform.com/2013/02/whats-wrong-with-common-core-ela-standards/
11. http://www.azleg.state.az.us/ars/15/00203.htm
12. http://www.accountabilityworks.org/photos/Cmmn_Cr_Cst_Stdy.Fin.2.22.12.pdf
13. http://www.azgovernor.gov/AzReady/documents/Materials/2012/AREC_111312_ACCSEstCost.pdf http://www.azsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/ASBA_Report_Card_3-5-13.pdf
14. http://coehp.uark.edu/colleague/9863.php
15. http://hoosiersagainstcommoncore.com/james-milgram-testimony-to-the-indiana-senate-committee/
16. http://pioneerinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Common-Core-Fact-Sheet_new.pdf
17. Dr. Sandra Stotsky’s testimony before the Texas Legislature: http://coehp.uark.edu/colleague/9863.php
18. http://edexcellence.net/publications/the-state-of-state-of-standards-and-the-common-core-in-2010.html
19. http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/
20. http://edexcellence.net/commentary/education-gadfly-daily/common-core-watch/2013/a-testimony-on-the-common-core-standards.html
21. Fordham Institute rating of Arizona’s previous standards: http://edexcellencemedia.net/publications/2010/201007_state_education_standards_common_standards/Arizona.pdf
22. Former AZ School Superintendent, John Huppenthal’s letter to parents on November 3, 2014: http://www.azed.gov/assessment/files/2014/11/parent-letter.pdf
23. AIR partners with SMARTER Balanced: http://www.air.org/resource/air-partners-smarter-balanced-assessment-consortium-create-online-test-delivery-system
24. US Dept. of Education award letter to SMARTER Balanced: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-assessment/sbac-award-letter.pdf
25. Letter to Arne Duncan from Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03) about concerns over student data collection: http://www.scribd.com/doc/136746087/Congressman-Blaine-Luetkemeyer-s-Letter-to-U-SEducation-Secretary-Arne-Duncan
26. White House hosts 2012 Datapalooza: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhdwy3ASoEfm1QeH0kfNnLWUqv4lE1pPs
27. Arizona Daily Independent article: http://www.arizonadailyindependent.com/2014/06/30/az-dept-of-education-to-anti-common-core-teacher-what-a-fcktard/
28. Arizona Daily Star: http://tucson.com/news/local/education/tucson-teacher-claims-reprisals-for-criticizing-common-core/article_7458be56-1b35-597b-b6a2-cb86e5237167.html
29. http://dailycaller.com/2013/12/11/teachers-face-retaliation-for-criticizing-common-core/
30. http://www.azed.gov/assessment/files/2014/11/award-specific-qa.pdf
31. 2010 White House Datapalooza, Agilix presentation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri6gB6O9Bp0&index=4&list=PLhdwy3ASoEfm1QeH0kfNnLWUqv4lE1pPs
32. CCSSO Corporate Partners: http://www.ccsso.org/Who_We_Are/Business_and_Industry_Partnerships/Corporate_Partners.html
33. The 15% Rule: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED544664.pdf
34. Common Core Copyright: http://www.corestandards.org/public-license/
35. http://dianeravitch.net/2014/06/08/the-inside-story-of-how-bill-gates-bought-the-common-core-standards/ (Diane Ravitch is a a historian of education, an educational policy analyst, and a research
professor at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.)
36. Common Core Public Feedback:
http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CorePublicFeedback.pdf
37. “What is Achieve Inc.?”:
https://whatiscommoncore.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/what-is-achieve-inc-and-why-should-you-care/
38. Memorandum of Understanding, RTTT Waiver & Implementation of Common Core, May 2010:
applications/arizona.pdf
https://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/phase2-
39. Common Core Standards published in June 2010:
http://www.nga.org/cms/home/news-room/news-releases/page_2010/col2-content/main-content-list/title_national-governors-association-and-state-education-chiefs-launch-common-state-academicstandards.html
40. Race To The Top Grant: http://www.azed.gov/racetothetop/
41. NEA calls for Arne Duncan’s resignation: http://www.nea.org/grants/33354.htm
42. Diane Ravitch’s Speech to the Modern English Association:
http://profession.commons.mla.org/2014/01/22/common-core-standards-past-present-future/
43. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQoEvDS3ZX8&list=PL0BWHvcPmNxssijjl-YafOo4D3cQWu3wN
44. Fordham State ratings prior to Common Core implementation: http://edexcellence.net/publications/the-state-of-state-of-standards-and-the-common-core-in-2010.html
45. Scientific evidence shows education standards do not improve student achievement:
http://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pubs/pdf/pa661.pdf
46. http://www.nea.org/home/51693.htm
47. The Absurdity of High-stakes testing: http://www.schoolleadership20.com/profiles/blogs/testing-testing-testing
48. http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/whiaiane/files/2012/04/2012DOIEDMOU.pdf
49. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/media-center/speeches/2009/07/bill-gates-national-conference-of-state-legislatures-ncsl