Dedicated to all the parents out there frustrated over the Common Core: To Whom It May Concern: I was highly insulted by the 3 Key Ideas for Parents about the Common Core letter that my 5th grader brought home for me. Since the letter is so keen on telling me how I should do my job as a parent, heres a letter to return the favor: 1) I do not care how deeply my 5th grader thinks. Hes 9 years old. I just care that mathematically, scientifically, historically, and literately, he thinks correctly. Leave the deeper thinking to how I parent my child. 2) While cross-disciplinary work is important, why cant my childs math teacher teach math? Let the history teacher teach history. And the English teacher teach literature. They werent trained to teach outside their discipline, and yet Im supposed to trust them to prepare my child for a test while incorporating disciplines they werent formally trained for? That sounds brilliant. 3) Why isnt knowing it enough proof of my child knowing it? My child doesnt meta-think. Again, need I remind you hes 9 years old? Meta-cognition is a skill that most college students struggle with. And youre telling me, my child must wrap his little 9 year old brain about explaining how he got 1 + 1 to equal 2? Because its the damn correct answer, Sherlock! 4) Telling me to support the Common Core at home is like telling me to eat dog food. I will speak to my child as I know is developmentally appropriate for my 9 year old. Asking him why all the time isnt going to make him any smarter than he already is. It will only drive him as crazy as he does me asking why all the time. And him driving me crazy is more appropriate than me driving him crazy. 5) Its not that Im disinterested in my childs education, but theres only so much that I can do. Seriously, I go to work, give nearly half my paycheck to the government, nearly the next half to putting food on the table, and nearly the third half (no, I dont need Common Core math; Im just emphasizing a point, you know, hyperbole...) making sure my family has a roof over their heads. So when Im with my family, I want to be with my family. I dont want to be talking with them about school all the time. Which is what has happened. You ask for me to practice, review, and correct their homework, but I havent the slightest idea what my 5th graders homework is about half the time. So, I invite you to come to my house one day after work, and you can train me in how Im supposed to practice, review, and correct my childs homework. Because if thats what you want me to do, I need to know how to do it. 6) Routine? Routine? Seriously? I bust my ass to work every morning. I get cut off on the highway every morning. I push papers at a desk all day every day. I get cut off on the highway every afternoon. And then I come home to suffer through hours and hours of nonsensical Common Core homework. So yes, I have an established routine. I come home. I go over my childs homework. And then I will write a note to the teacher explaining how my child could not complete the assignment because the lesson was retarded. 7) The most offensive thing on this entire letter was the involvement section. What I want to say I cant even write down because it would make a sailor blush. But I will say this: to suggest that I as a parent am not involved with my childs education is like telling me I am a neglectful one. And I dont know what type of parents the other children have, but I want my child to succeed. I want my child to be the best he is able to be. Im tired of him coming home upset because he understands the material but doesnt understand the methods by which the teachers are teaching. Im tired of coming home and being up all hours of the night because I know that 8-1=7, but I havent the faintest idea why the teacher is prompting my child to add in a subtraction lesson. Im trying to figure out why my childs English teacher is having them analyze a historical speech or better yet five speeches by our president. If I wasnt involved, you wouldnt be receiving this letter from me. 8) Let it be known: my child will succeed. In spite of not because of Common Core. I and many other parents will see to it the day that will come when our children will come home happy and excited about what they learned in school because their teachers taught them the right way--the way they were trained to. I pray to God though that that day comes soon. Because Im sick and tired of seeing my child cry over his wasted time in school. Sincerely yours, One Pissed Off Parent
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 01:01:48 +0000
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