Some Governors are showing they want to hear from parents. Governor Hassan does not.
This is a post from the good folks in Mass. who are fighting Common Core. To improve public education parents must get involved. They have to show up to meetings, write letters, make phone calls and fight for their public schools.
Keep calling your legislators and Governor Hassan and let them know that Common Core and the Competency Based Education in our schools are not good for our children!!
Shanon McNamara Dahlstrom
April 21 at 6:44pm
Hello everyone. Please read.
As you may or may not be aware, Gov. Baker requested that the Board of Ed in MA hold 5 public forums on PARCC and Common Core.
This was announced on March 6th and you can find the press release here: http://www.mass.gov/governor/press-office/press-releases/fy2015/paul-sagan-to-chair-board-elementary-and-secondary-educ-.html
“The Governor has asked the new Chair to schedule not fewer than five public hearings around the Commonwealth, starting in June, to solicit public comment from local officials, educators, employers, parents and students, specifically on the implementation of the PARCC tests this spring and the impact of Common Core and PARCC on curriculum and instruction.
DESE finally released the dates and locations here http://www.doe.mass.edu/news/news.aspx?id=17901 but made no mention of common core.
What everyone needs to realize is that we only get one shot at things like this. We have no idea how long or hard the battle might be, but we have finally pushed hard enough to have these hearings. Make no mistake about why there are even going to be public hearings; this was the work of Donna Colorio, Common Core Forum, and so many of you that had been reminding Gov. Baker that we needed to change the direction of things. Do you want PARCC? NO! Then you need to BE THERE! Do you want Common Core? NO! Then you need to BE THERE! This isn’t easy. This isn’t even remotely convenient. But this is what we are being dealt. Do the locations and times suck? Yes, most of them do. Are these hearings being pushed and advertised extensively? No. Only a few school districts have mentioned them. So even though these hearings are a step in the right direction, there are major hurdles to overcome. They are banking on the fact that there will be low turnout. DESE is calling in MBAE and the Renie Center and all of the PARCC fellows to be there and testify. Will you be there to counter them? If there is not a good enough turnout then they will use that as a sword against us. So what are you going to do to help stop the progression of these education reforms?
For me, I will be at every one of these hearings. I will have something to speak at every single one. I will be there to listen to what proponents have to say and I will be there to counter them the next time. I know some of these are far. Some of the times are just awful. And I think this was done purposefully and to be convenient to the Board and DESE, not parents and teachers. So I will be there anyway. I need all of you to find a way to be there too. Trust me. I know it is not always possible. But TRY to do everything in your power to get to as many as you can. Even if you do not want to talk, be there to support those who are talking. I do not know how to stress the importance of people being there!
On another note, I want to say something about MCAS vs PARCC, which will be a focus of the hearings. Personally, I don’t want either option. I am mad that the current No Child Left Behind rewrite still includes testing in every grade. However, I believe to effect change it has to be in steps. I do not think the board or DESE will give any weight to a no testing argument at the moment. Since the only chance of a NCLB change still includes yearly testing, then a test is here to stay. I may not like it, and I will still opt my kids out of those tests and continue to push back against this, but it is the landscape we are in. I will tell them why I object to PARCC and what I would prefer to change in MCAS, but I will attack these reforms in stages. You are allowed to make any other argument that you personally believe in. This is my personal plan of attack and view on what can be done. I say this as a potentially strategy at finding a winning path to removing the erosion of education reform but know we may not all agree. Some might want testing and some might not give an inch in removing all testing. I understand both and ask you to come and speak with your heart, whatever it tells you, but PLEASE be there.
We will post event pages for each date. There will be a link for you to provide your contact info for any date you will attend. We will use that info solely to contact you as a group about strategy, stand out times before the event, and any other info that is useful to share. Never hesitate to contact me or Donna Colorio with any questions or issues.
PLEASE ATTEND AS MANY AS POSSIBLE!
Here are some powerful videos from NY when they had public “hearings” on Common Core. It was amazing to see so many people in each place speaking against CC and PARCC. We need the same thing. So many people clapping and being there in support of what others said. I don’t plan to be combative but I will be there and taking notes and countering things each time. Fitchburg is a week away…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Eiz406VAs