The Common Core Standards Senator Ernie Otten Across SD right now in every school, there is change being implemented called The Common Core Standards. This is an attempt by 45 states to increase scholastic achievement. I would have preferred our state leave our standards alone or make modifications to what we’re currently using. SDakotans expect, and we’ve achieved, some pretty spectacular results all on our own. It’s the world-renown School of Mines in Rapid City. What I fear with the common core standards is that we will lose what is very special and unique, and that is that spirit of excellence. As an elected official in District 6, I felt it was my obligation, even though I disagree with adopting the Common Core Standards, that I check in with the four school districts I serve because what is at stake. And that’s what’s most precious to us all: our children. I’ve met with school superintendents & other officials in Tea, Lennox, and Harrisburg and still need to meet with Pam Homan, Sioux Falls. Parents who have investigated CC have raised a lot of questions, and yet using the information provided by the State leaves a huge chunk of those questions unanswered to my satisfaction. I wanted the school’s view about the math and English standards that had been adopted: Were there problems; did they have questions; will this work; how do they feel about the student assessment and the teacher evaluations; did they feel they still had control over their curriculum; was this forced upon them; and do they have the needed financial support from the state… What I was told was that those three schools are on track and felt this would work for their district. I then shared with them the problems I was struggling with: • Data mining/sharing of student personal data; • teachers and the testing mechanism with concerns about affecting their teaching careers; • and because of my own research into the five states who never adopted CC, and 11 now rethinking their adoption of the CC, my biggest concern is that the state will not be able to meet their financial obligation to the schools for CC, therefore passing an unfunded mandate down onto the school districts who will be forced to raise taxes. That would an unfair tax burden on you. We still do not know all the costs associated with implementing and doing assessments with CC. For example, I’ve been told that student test costs could range anywhere between $5 per student to $40. I am and will be working on the following legislation to bring forward in 2014: • I want to assure parents that South Dakota will never share, or sell, any student’s personal data; and • I’d like to see South Dakota follow Indiana & Pennsylvania who’ve put a moratorium on moving forward with CC until proven in other states. There is yet no data to prove CC meets or exceeds what we currently use.
Posted on: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 02:49:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015