The first casualties of Common Core. I dont know how its going to affect the homeschooling community, whether well be required to do these tests or not, but anyone could predict the terrible impact its having on public-schooling kids. Private-schoolers may be next. In the summer of 2012, my elementary school teachers began to report increased anxiety over having to learn two entirely new curricula for Math and ELA. I soon learned that school districts across the board were completely dismantling the current curricula and replacing them with something more scripted, emphasizing “one size fits all” and taking any imagination and innovation out of the hands of the teachers. In the fall of 2012, I started to receive an inordinate number of student referrals from several different school districts. I was being referred a large number of honors students—mostly 8th graders.The kids were self-mutilating—cutting themselves with sharp objects and burning themselves with cigarettes. My phone never stopped ringing. . . . I also started to receive more calls referring elementary school students who were refusing to go to school. They said they felt “stupid” and school was “too hard.” They were throwing tantrums, begging to stay home, and upset even to the point of vomiting. . . . My teachers were reporting a startling level of anxiety and depression. For the first time, I heard the term “Common Core” and I became awakened to a new set of standards that all schools were to adhere to—standards that we now say set the bar so high, anyone can walk right under them.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 19:11:36 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015