And this one hurts. I'm not sure exactly why it does, but let me explain the situation. A vast majority of you have adopted the Common Core State Standards and Indiana has been right alongside this whole time. We have spent time taking apart the standards, analyzing the nouns and verbs to decipher what our kids should know and be able to do, spent many a PD days on what this shift means, yadda yadda yadda. We've looked through textbooks with a critical eye on how they incorporate the CCSS within their text. Now we have textbooks based on how well they cover the CCSS.
But wait...we currently have a bill that is going to void any changes that have been made to standards since 2010! Yep, you heard me! CCSS would be gone just as we get going! Our legislators believe that Indiana can develop better standards that align to a better assessment (not PARCC). Anyway, I just feel like the word "void" makes everyone think that all of our learning and work will be void. The connotation of this has just bugged me.
So, I wrote my senator...and he wrote me back! I was excited to exercise my writes, although I didn't love his response. At least he took the time to give me a detailed reason as to why he was voting to void the change in CCSS.
Okay, I am done. For today. The vote is tomorrow. I may be back tomorrow. I may be excited. I may not be. Can any of you from non-CCSS shed light and hope on this situation? I know it won't be as bad I have in my head, and the way I present it to my staff sets the tone, but I had to get it all out.
Gotta run...to bed now (well after Parenthood is over).
4 comments:
I too live in our great state of Indiana, and I have to say the possibility of not making the Common Core switch has me worried as well. I hope we're able to nip this problem in the bud soon....
~Steph
Sparkly, Quirky Lifebox
The Quirky Apple
I live in Kansas. Our school district has worked very hard to accept the CCSS and create materials that would help our teachers, but also allow us to continue to learn the standards alongside each other through PD. Personally, I was torn--I'm not always keen on change. However, I think about all the students we have that move state to state and how, if we all have the same standards, that would be beneficial to them. On the flip side, say my husband got a job in another state. If that state has CCSS, then I would feel somewhat more comfortable trying to get a job teaching there. If they don't, I would still try to teach, but I would have to learn an entirely new set of standards. There are so many sides to this. However, I hate to see all your hard work go to waste. Just sharing my opinion. :} Cherie (aka "Charli") in Emporia, Kansas
Indiana teacher here, too.
I think a lot of people were concerned because most states were making a huge jump in rigor by switching to CCSS, but Indiana already had really highly rated standards. There are a few different things, though, and I really like the potential for collaboration with teachers all across the country when using CCSS. Plus, now that they've TOLD us we're switching, going back would change everything in such a ridiculous way.
I'm with you. I don't think CCSS is the best thing ever, necessarily, but I think changing at this point would just negate much of the work we've already done and make collaboration harder.
Our new governor worries me, a lot, in a lot of ways.
Jenny
Luckeyfrog's Lilypad
Same thing is happening in Alabama-legislators are trying to throw common core out the window. What the heck do they know anyway? I don't try to tell my doctor what to do because I'm not an expert in the field of medicine. So I say the legislators need to BE QUIET! :)
Shannon
http://www.irunreadteach.wordpress.com
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