Idaho's Bias and Sensitivity Committee Created to Review SBAC

Idaho recently announced the formation of a committee to review the SBAC exam given to Idaho students.  I had applied and was accepted to be a part of this group before withdrawing my name for several reasons.  First, the legislature called for this committee to be formed  during their last session, ending in the spring.  Why did the State Department of Education wait until THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS to bring this committee together?  This is a highly inconvenient time for parents to be away from families and teachers to be out of the classroom. At the least, it was very frustrating to me.  I was willing to spend the time to be on this committee, but not at the expense of sacrificing this week of children's Christmas recitals, parties, and other holiday events. 
   Second,  Idaho is a member of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.  We have somewhat of a voice in this consortium (I say somewhat because as I understand it, we signed up in the consortium through Washington state), but we are just one of many states receiving the SBAC exam.  If the Biased and Sensitivity Committee finds questions they want tossed from the test, will Idaho be given a separate exam from other states?  But wait, isn't that the whole point of Common Core?  That everyone will be instructed using the same standards and tested with the same exam?  Doesn't the fact that Idaho has formed this committee in the first place imply there is a problem with bias and sensitivity?  This committee was formed in response to parents' and teachers' complaints over the field test administered last spring.  This is Idaho's way of dealing with the issue and I commend the legislature for taking some action.  But I think we are being deceived to think that Idaho has the power to control the SBAC.  If there are any test items flagged,  what guarantee do we have that these will be removed?  Isn't the test continually updated by SBAC with new and improved questions? If Idaho wants control of our testing, we must leave the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.   
  Can you see why I didn't feel spending a week in Boise away from my family during the best time of the year not seem worth it? I hope my instincts are wrong, but I predict when this committee has finished reviewing the test (and we won't hear anything from them because they were required to sign a confidentiality agreement before participating), the propaganda will continue oozing from the SDOE that Idaho Core Standards (Common Core) are the best we can do  for our students and the ISAT 2.0 (SBAC) is the best way to measure those standards.  And I will still disagree.

Big Events in Idaho This Weekend for Common Core

There are three events scheduled this weekend across the state to bring awareness to Common Core and how we can fight it.  Please spread the word and make plans to attend at least one of these evnets.  All events are free admission thanks to donations from generous Idahoans!

Just Scared Parents?

  I heard about a recent comment on Facebook from a local teacher that the resistance to Common Core was spurred by "scared parents."  At first I took offense to that.  I don't consider myself hysterical.  If I had to pick a word to describe me it would be informed or concerned.  I had my hackles up ready to defend why I  oppose the Common Core State Standards, and it certainly wasn't driven by fear, in my mind.  But as I sat down to organize my thoughts, I realized maybe scared is an accurate description.  I am scared about what is happening to education.  I am scared of the effects high-stakes testing will have on my children and the other children in our community, state, and country.  I am also scared that good teachers will leave education as a result of so-called reform.  I'm scared Common Core will extinguish a love of learning that is naturally present in children when they are allowed to grow and learn in developmentally appropriate environments.  I am scared of what will happen with the data that is mined and shared with whomever claims to have an interest in education.  I am scared that data won't be protected (data breeches are occurring continually in our digital world).  I am scared data will be used to market and make millions  billions for corporations who claim to care about education, but ultimately are salivating at the potential bottom line. I am scared students will be labeled at an early age as to who is college-worthy; that careers and futures will be determined at early grade-levels, as is done in many European countries.  Fear also enters my heart when I read the 10th Amendment and wonder what has happened to states' rights when so many guidelines, restrictions, and mandates are coming down the pike from the Federal government, which our state so readily signs.  I am scared that there aren't enough people in our state willing to educate themselves about Common Core and take a stand.  I am scared that people won't realize that Common Core isn't just about standards.  It's signing on to the testing, the data mining/sharing, and will influence teachers' evaluations and schools' ratings. Is the opposition to Common Core driven by scared parents?  Maybe.  And I don't think that's so bad. 

State School Board Meeting

  It's been a while since I've posted, but please know I have not been idle in fighting Common Core in Idaho.  Tuesday, August 12, we had a great meeting in Twin Falls/Jerome educating more parents and trustees about why we should be fighting Common Core.  On August 14, I, along with 5 other moms, was able to address the State Board of Education about my concerns with CCSS and specifically the SBAC/ISAT.2.0.  That's right.  The state has renamed the SBAC the ISAT 2.0, a deceptive move in my opinion, that implies Idaho is out of the consortium, which is not the case.  Here are my comments to the board:

"I have many concerns about the origin, funding, and lack of transparency that has accompanied the Common Core Standards, but will focus my comments to you today about my concerns with the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium.  I chose to not have my children take the SBAC test this past spring.  I started seeing and hearing rumors and decided to do my own research and try to find the truth. 

   Before opting my children out, I asked if I could sit with them and look over the tests as they took them.  This was refused.  I was told sample tests were available, but I wanted to see the actual exam my students were taking since so many rumors had been circulating about questions irrelevant to a student’s knowledge or those of a data-seeking nature being asked.  And I don’t think those particular questions would appear on a sample test.

I have read the talking points and sample letter you encourage administrators to send to noncomplying parents who have concerns with the SBAC.  I understand that the state does not have an opt-out policy for testing.  And I understand federal and state guidelines require 95% of students to be tested to receive funding and prevent lowering of a school’s star rating.  But my tax dollars help to provide that funding and my parental authority trumps all of that.  I am not alone in my concerns in our state and other states throughout the nation.  A national movement has started to boycott high-stakes testing next year, whether the state has a policy in place or not. 

Because there have been so many concerns voiced by parents and teachers, I have been told that a group of Idaho educators and parents is being organized to review questions on the SBAC.  I feel this is another attempt to placate those who are questioning the test.  Is Idaho going to be given a separate test from the rest of the consortium? Who ultimately determines what questions will be on the test, even after receiving input from parents and teachers?  If we are going to insist on using high-stakes testing to measure our students’ success, and our teachers’ and schools’ performances,  then I want Idaho’s educators, Idaho’s parents, and Idaho’s leaders to develop, write, and approve the standards and tests.  Being in a consortium with other states prevents us from having the flexibility to adjust and adapt the testing for the needs of Idaho’s students. 

 Renaming the SBAC the ISAT-2.0 is really quite deceptive; it gives the impression that we have left the consortium and Idaho is once again in control of its testing, which is not the case.

I don’t want a “re-name”.  I want a repeal.  Please do the right thing and choose to withdraw from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium as a first step to repealing Common Core in Idaho."

 

The Momentum is Building!

 Here in the Magic Valley, we are mobilizing our efforts to expose Common Core as not just a set of mediocre standards, but as a federal intrusion into public education, stripping the rights of parents, teachers, and local administrators.  We are hosting two community informational meetings in the upcoming weeks.  In the Mini-Cassia area, we will gather July 31 at Sweetheart Manor in Burley at 7 PM.  In the Jerome/Twin Falls area, we will meet August 12 at the Comfort Inn conference room at the Crossroads Point, across from Flying J also @ 7 PM.  Both evenings will be a casual discussion of some concerns we have with Common Core and a plan of action to fight it.  Jennifer Bond of Jerome and Lynda Detweiler of Twin Falls will join me at both events.  Invite your family and friends and come get informed.  We have been researching Common Core for months and definitely have opinions on it.  We encourage you to do your own research and find out for yourselves if Common Core is the best thing for Idaho's future and Idaho's greatest asset:  our children.

Radio Program Tomorrow

Tomorrow I will be on AM 1230 @ noon with Scott Yeats talking about why we should be fighting Common Core and our plan of action. Please spread the word!

We Will Not Conform Event

Tonight I was able to attend Glenn Beck's "We Will Not Conform" event in a Twin Falls, ID, theater.  This event was broadcast live to over 700 theaters nation-wide.  It was motivating to feel that we are not alone in this fight.  More than anything, we have to connect.  We have to combine our efforts to fight this, especially in Idaho where so many (parents, educators, and leaders) still don't know all that Common Core entails.  Please spread the word!  And please plan to opt your kids out of the SBAC test next spring.  When this is done in large numbers, state and local administrators will have to recognize that Common Core is NOT what we want! But we have to join together. We want local control and we will fight until we win!  Please ask to join the Facebook group "Mini-Cassia Citizens Against Common Core" even if you don't live in Minidoka or Cassia counties.  We are all Idahoans!

Why We Should Fight Common Core

I am presenting my arguments tonight to the Cassia County Central Republican Committee on why we should be fighting Common Core.  Below are my notes that I will be using.  While this certainly isn't a complete argument, it has many of the major concerns I have with CCSS.

The History of Common Core

• The standards were developed by the National Governors Association, Council of Chief State School Officers, and Achieve, Inc., all Washington, DC, based private organizations who received funding primarily from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (to date over $200 BILLION) , as well as other private organizations.  These groups have no legislative power.
• The standards were written by a Standards Development Work Group of 29 people (almost half employed by testing companies, others were reps from Common Core groups, also text book companies, 2 educational consultants, and one college professor).  No elementary or secondary teachers were on the committees, no early childhood development experts, no parents, no legislators, no school board members.  We pay for public education!  This is education without representation.  Sandra Stotsky, a member of the validation committee for ELA standards, called the process of writing the standards "peculiar." Who chose these work group and committee members? How were they selected? No one seems to be concerned about the answer to these questions.  The two lead writers of the ELA standards, David Coleman and Susan Pimentel, have never taught English at the K-12 or college level!  As a side note, David Coleman is now president of the College Board and is rewriting the SAT to align with CCSS.  Do some research on him and see what kind of man he is.  The New York City school system wouldn't even hire him when he completed his Ivy League education. 
• Because these groups are private organizations, what happened in their meetings does not fall under the Freedom of Information Act.  It was behind closed doors.  In fact, members of the validations committees had to sign confidentiality agreements.  Why the secrecy?  Public and teacher input was invited, but the original work study group could consider or not any feedback given.  I will write more about that in a minute.  The work study group had the final say, according to the NGA press release in July of 2009.
• The CCSS were not piloted before being copyrighted and adopted by the states.  Kentucky even signed on to them (February 2010) before the one and only public draft was released in March of 2010.  The final standards were released in June of 2010.  Idaho State Board of Education initially signed on to them in August of 2010, approved only by the Senate Education Committee.
• The CCSS were not internationally benchmarked.  Those words were removed from the CC website to now say "internationally informed." The validation committee repeatedly requested information that these were researched-based and indeed internationally benchmarked.  No documentation was ever given.
• The standards were written in a period of about 9 months.  When Massachusetts overhauled their standards about 10 years ago, they debated and took feedback for two years. 
• The standards are touted as "rigorous."  Algebra 1 has been moved to freshmen year.  Jason Zimba, a lead writer of the math standards, admitted the CC math standards were written to get students into a two year community college, not select colleges, or the ones their parents most likely want their children attending.  Is this how we define career and college ready?  Fifty percent of reading in English class will now come from informational texts, moving up to 70% by the 12th grade.  Examples include insulation installation manuals and segments from the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank on the effectiveness of the 2008 bailout.  When Bill Gates was asked in a recent interview if his kids were learning CCSS, he replied that they were learning a "super set" of Common Core.  The regular standards aren't good enough?
• The CCSS are not developmentally appropriate.  No early childhood educators or experts were on the development work group or the validation committees.  Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post reported in May 2014 that when the CCSS were first released, more than 500 childhood professionals signed a Joint Statement opposing the standards on the grounds that they would lead to long hours of direct instruction, more standardized testing, and would crown out highly important active, play-based learning.  All of this has come to pass.  The statement was not even reported in the "summary of public feedback" posted on the Core Standards website.
• Common Core Standards are enforced through tests administered by private testing companies.  Idaho belongs to the SBAC.  By the way, Linda Darling-Hammond is one of the lead developers of the SBAC.  In case that name doesn't ring a bell, she is a close associate of Bill Ayers--that Bill Ayers.  Who are we following? Most people don't even know!  These consortiums are overseen by the US Department of Education.  Admission or withdrawal from this consortium is done by consent of the USDOE.  We agreed to this with our Race to the Top application and also our application to the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund.  This was one of four assurances we agreed to when we applied to received federal money.  The other three were creating a State Longitudinal Data System, turning around our failing schools, and recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and administrators.
• Race to the Top was a competition between states to receive grant money funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  $4.35 billion was earmarked for education--to save teacher's jobs, among other things.  Idaho applied, but was not awarded any money.  We were and are still accountable to the "assurances" which are now government mandates.  Applying for RTTT also helped us be eligible for a waiver from No Child Left Behind.  Part of the Students Come First legislation (remember the Luna Laws?) was ensuring that Idaho was compliant with these assurances.  When those laws were struck down by voters in 2010, that waiver was threatened.  The Governor's Task Force on Education was established to maintain our compliance.
• We are told that each state can add up to 15% of their own standards to the CCSS.  But we cannot rewrite or change the 85% that is copyrighted by the NGA.  Plus, the 15% will not be tested on. When teachers' evaluations are on the line, what standards are they going to focus on the most?  Those on the test.
• One of the more popular talking point in that Common Core are only standards, not curriculum (because it is unconstitutional to have a national curriculum).  But standards drive curriculum. Pearson, Prentice/Hall and other textbook companies are working furiously to provide curriculum aligned with Common Core.  Bill Gates said himself at the 2009 National Conference of State Legislatures, after acknowledging that 46 states had then committed to the state standards, "that is encouraging--but identifying common standards is not enough.  We'll know we've succeeded when the curriculum and the tests are aligned to these standards."  They have the tests, the curriculum will soon follow.
• Another concern is the State Longitudinal Data System, mentioned above.  The USDOE released a summary of what they wanted to see in a data system.  "The Secretary is also particularly interested in applications in which States propose working together to adapt one State's state-wide longitudinal data system so that it may be used, in whole or part, by one or more other states, rather than having each state build or continue building such systems independently."  It has been reported that up to 400 data points of information will be collected through SLDS, including test scores, health history, family income, religion, attitudes, behaviors, biometric data (which the state denies having the equipment to measure; that maybe true now, but it is coming ( Read Promoting Grit, Tenacity, and Perseverance on the USDOE website).  LeAnn Castor, a teacher in the Treasure Valley, wrote a letter about this report that explains her reaction after reading this report.
• Four states have repealed Common Core in their states (Indiana, South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Louisiana).  Chief Justice John Roberts warned that 'states should defend their prerogatives by adopting' the simple expedient of not yielding" to federal blandishments when they do not want to embrace the federal policies as their own.  The States are separate and independent sovereigns.  Sometimes they have to act like it."  It's time for Idaho to act like the sovereign state that it is and  repeal Common Core! 

 

Radio Program Tomorow

Tomorrow morning, I will be a guest on the KLIX 1310 radio program "Top Story" with Kelly Klaas and Jill Skeem from 9-10 AM.  Listen online @ http://newsradio1310.com/.

An Idaho Teacher Speaks Out Against Common Core and the SBAC

LeAnn Castor has decided she can no longer remain silent about what she sees happening in Idaho schools.  She has written two letters to whomever will read them.  While long, they are certainly worth reading!  Please read them and pass them on.  The first letter expresses her concern with Common Core and specifically the SBAC field test administered this past spring.
http://idahoansforlocaleducation.com/2014/05/teacher-shares-facts-common-corethings-teachers-citizens-dont-know/

The second letter goes into greater detail about the vision of education put forth by the US Department of Education in a document called "Grit, Tenacity, and Perseverance."

http://idahoansforlocaleducation.com/2014/06/idaho-teacher-common-core-part-2-deeper-facts-data-mining-schools/

A Place to Start

If you're needing a place to start, watch this movie.
www.commoncoremovie.com

We Can Make a Difference!

In recent weeks, we have seen four states pull out of Common Core State Standards (Indiana, Missouri, South Carolina, and Oklahoma).  This happened because parents and teachers were concerned about many different aspects of the Common Core, and although they may not have agreed on all issues, they agreed that these standards had to go and their individual states would be responsible for educating their students in the manner they felt best. They joined together and made it happen. You might think it's impossible for that to happen in Idaho, but it can!  We have to join together and have our voices be heard!  This blog is a place to share information, get encouragement, and organize our efforts together.  Please do your homework and spread the word!  You need to know for yourself that Common Core State Standards are not best for the students of our nation, but particularly not for the students of Idaho, our children.