Cow Paddies Masquerading as the National / Federal Common Core Standards
Those of you who no longer have a dog in the fight and / or don’t follow education should probably pay attention. There is a movement in this country to federalize nationalize what is taught to every...
View ArticleLions and Tigers and Math SOL scores – Oh My!!!
Word on the street is that PWCS’s pass rates on the revised and “more rigorous” Math SOL are abysmal, and hysteria has broken out across the county. OK, hysteria might be a bit of an exaggeration...
View ArticleWhy Johnny Can’t Subtract
Many parents and teachers have complained to me that their children can’t subtract. While most of us managed to get through grade school generally getting subtraction, the whole concept seems to be...
View ArticleMythbusting the Common Core
The pressure on Virginia to adopt the Common Core State Standards is intense, with the CCSS’s supporters actively spreading false information, grossly exaggerating it’s success, and misrepresenting who...
View ArticleThe Evil that Schools Do
Anyone who has paid the least bit of attention to education reforms in the past 20 – 30 years knows that rote memorization, or drill and kill, are the single worst things a developing child can be...
View ArticleDisavowing the Common Core Standards
Diane Ravitch is one of the most influential people working to improve public education. I’ve disagreed with her on some topics, but on the issue of the Common Core State Standards we’ve found common...
View ArticleGoing Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Nothing sets me off more than politicians who lie, regurgitate what they’ve been told without checking to see if it’s accurate, or pretend that the bow tied cow patty they’re trying to sell me doesn’t...
View ArticleDumbing Down the AP to Match the CCSS
Since their inception Advanced Placement, or AP, courses have been in high demand in high schools across the country. The content and sequence of instruction in AP courses is designed by The College...
View ArticleTo Common Core or Not To Common Core
Several nights ago I participated in a panel hosted by the Prince William County Committee of 100 about the future of standards in Virginia’s public schools. Of interest to the Committee was whether...
View ArticleStaff’s Presentation on the Common Core
At the Feb 5, 2014 school board meeting, staff presented what was supposed to be an overview of the Common Core State Standards, which you can find here. The presentation was, in my opinion,...
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