It’s an old pattern of behavior on the part of change agents  and societal transformers.  If a program or concept becomes too objectionable, they don’t examine  the criticisms to see if the concerns are valid. They don’t try to repair the program or cancel it.  They rename it and push even harder. In the realm […]

Bah! Humbug! Those of us educated before the Common Core will know what literary work is referenced by that exclamation. Okay, so those who watch movies may also know…but they will understand that the movie was made from the book. All that is changing. The Common Core English Language Arts standards will require 50% of […]

A Batavia High School teacher, John Dryden, was disciplined for explaining to his high school students that they had Constitutional rights protecting them from answering personal questions on a survey the school was conducting. The survey was not anonymous. Current and past students of Mr. Dryden rallied around him in support. A report of disciplinary […]

Thomas Sowell, author of Inside American Education,  has been following education for decades.   He explains that John Dewey re-defined the role of a teacher.. “…not as a transmitter of a society’s culture to the young, but as an agent of change — someone strategically placed, with an opportunity to condition students to want a […]

“Hidden in Common Core is the real objective – presenting the minimal amount of material that high-school graduates need to be able to enter the work force in an entry-level job.” Dr. James Millgram and Emmet McGroarty have been examining the Common Core State Standards and have been speaking out against them. This article points […]

Of course we all want our children to have teachers who are compassionate, flexible, perceptive, good communicators, and experts in the subjects which they teach.  In other words, we want our teachers to be almost superhuman. Under the Race to the Top initiative of which the Common Core State Standards are a part, the desired […]

If you are a student who took part of the GED and need to finish taking the rest, complete it before the end of December 2013, or you will have to start over. David Coleman, often called the “architect” of the Common Core State Standards, is now the president of the College Board which produces […]

In October 2012, David Coleman, often called the “architect” of the Common Core State Standards, became the president of the College Board which produces the SAT exam. More recently he announced he is  aligning the SAT with the Common Core State Standards. The ACT exam was already aligned with the Common Core State Standards in […]

Beware of “semantic deception.” Learn the definitions of current education terms.

The State Supreme Court, in the McCleary decision, reaffirmed that it was the “paramount duty” of the state to make “ample provision” for the education of all children…..(see Article IX, Washington State Constitution)

When the writers of this Article in Washington State’s Constitution wrote this, education consisted of “reading, writing, and arithmetic.” The writers would probably be surprised at what is considered “basic education” today. Their use of the words “ample provision” doesn’t necessarily mean ample payment, although the courts apparently think so.

Laurie Rogers also questions the word “ample” and provides many other good questions. Read her commentary.

These are good questions to ask your legislator at the next town hall meeting.