Common core hurts kids, parent see their children come home confused and frustrated by the nonsensical math and the idiotic way the English Language Arts are being taught. But the stress and anxiety caused by high stakes testing is what is really harming the students. Stress related issues with anxiety and even self-mutilating increased dramatically in New York State who implemented common core a year ago. Most of these tests and assessments and the stress they cause is totally unnecessary, used to evaluate teachers. The common core system requires data, individual student data, and assessments are the primary tool of the data gatherers.
However, as a growing number of parents are finding out, that students, with their parent’s permission can refuse many of these assessments, without it affecting their grade. Furthermore, here is where your local school board does still holds a little authority.
The School Board can determine how much, if any the End of Course exams count as a part of the student’s grade. School Boards can determine what alternative test can be used to demonstrate their competencies. Finally the School Board will determine how students who legally refuse the assessments are treated. With the wrong School Board in charge, children refusing the assessments will be forced to sit and stare for the duration of the test. Really bad School Boards may seek to use the students, refusing the assessment, be made into an example, punishing her or him with bullying tactics unfit for the playground. Some children have been targets of intimidation tactics, attempts to ostracize them from their friends, and made to take the blame for the entire class loosing privileges. If there are bullies on the Board, it best to vote them out when you can. They will probably be those who voted for the Race to the Top and common core in 2010, making them all incumbents.
In St. Johns County, the only School Board candidates who have promised to protect our kids from common core are Kelly Lorbeer and Karen Harvey. You will still be able to have your child refuse needless high stakes testing, but with anyone but Karen and Kelly, your child may have to sit and stare or worse.
