Gov. Mike Pence ends Common Core, but not its influence

[alp227]

Source: Indianapolis Star

Less than four years after Indiana became an early adopter of the national Common Core education standards, Gov. Mike Pence signed legislation Monday making Indiana the first state to opt out of the controversial K-12 guidelines.

But the law does not prohibit parts of Common Core from being written into new standards that are expected to be voted on by the State Board of Education late next month.

Pence said his signing of Senate Bill 91 — one of 20 education related bills he signed into law Monday — would make Indiana a model for other states to follow in taking control of what their students are taught.

“I believe when we reach the end of this process there are going to be many other states around the county that will take a hard look at the way Indiana has taken a step back, designed our own standards,” Pence said, “and done it in a way where we drew on educators, we drew on citizens and parents, and developed standards that meet the needs of our people.”

Read more: http://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2014/03/24/gov-mike-pence-ends-common-core-influence/6842999/

[SoapBox]

1. Taking control to teach things like

that the Earth is flat?

[Brigid]

8. Just so you know . . .

I live here, and I don't know anybody who thinks the earth is flat. This state is far from perfect, and sometimes it irritates the crap out of me; but it isn't that bad.

[rpannier]

2. Drew on the leaders of corporatocracy nt

[seabeckind]

3. Indiana is pure tea party

It was tea party when the party was called Birchers.

Its primary news outlet was owned by Dan Quayle's inlaws. The only time I heard progressive radio was from a station out of Dayton --and that shut down years ago.

The entire state is run for and by developers and car dealers.

The legislature is upset that a state university doesn't teach intelligent design in the science dept.

It's a right to work (at the lowest possible wage).

Its big push in this legislature was for a marriage amendment.

The state believes strongly in the reverse eminent domain policy. Take away from the public and give to private concerns. My state tax return was 11 pages long full of zeroes where every special interest gets to enter a tax offset.

It's a voter ID state.

And don't even think about the ACA or medicaid. And be prepared for a whiz quiz if you need a few bucks to feed a kid.

Wait! Bitter? Me?

<added on edit> On a serious note...other than opposing any and everything proposed by a democrat, I think the primary reason for this move is to open the door for standards that are more in line with the creationists and authoritarians. The state is very big on vouchers (tax credits for religious school attendance) and charters (keep my kids away from "those" kinds of people).

Welcome to the 19th century.

[Adrahil]

4. All that is true.... BUT

Glenda Ritz, the Democratic state Superintendent of Schools (and all-around good egg) also opposes common core, or more precisely, doesn't support it. She advocates (and I support) a subject by subject development of curriculum, and not a "one size fits all approach. Of course, Pence is doing everything in his power (and then some) to completely eviscerate the Superintendent's position, so he has direct control of the schools. I HATE that guy. He was my Congressmen before, and I hated him then too.

[seabeckind]

5. Operative word...support.

There are problems with common core. It can be improved upon. The correct approach is to say that those standards are the lowest bar, the bottom line, and that we strive for higher standards.

I believe that is her position.

The guvner's position is...ain't no f'in fedral gubmint gonna tell us what to do. Throw it all out. Pure tp.

And tere is NO disparaging word in this state.

When Obama jokes that he should say he opposite ... he's looking right at Indiana.

[Brigid]

9. Taken as a whole, I don't like IN.

But I think calling it "pure tea party" is stretching it a bit -- unless you're talking about Terre Haute. I do like Indy all right.

[joanbarnes]

6. Great news, I think. Hoping for a better future for two loved ones who teach in Indiana.

[alp227]

7. So why exactly do you oppose Common Core?

While both sides of the political aisle have their reasons, the right wing is so off the rails.

[pffshht]

10. Individual parents can opt their children out of standardized testing in most states...

And I think they should be doing so, en masse.
http://unitedoptout.com

If even one in every school opts out, the word will spread among young kids nationwide at the speed of Twitter and Snapchat that this is a thing, and they will tell their parents about it.

If parents have any opinion on the testing, and the teaching-to-the-tests that has become the new normal in public school, it is likely a strong negative one. But most of them think there is nothing they can do about it.