A New Course

       I just recently read a press release by the Janesville School District concerning the ill-advised – and entirely expected - announcement by Governor Walker to repeal the Common Core State Standards in Wisconsin. This is just another part of Mr. Walker’s persistent cynical campaign to undermine public education that results from his political beliefs. Mr. Walker is appealing to those in his coalition who also believe that creationism should be taught in science classes and that for profit companies should run our schools. The people of Wisconsin recognize that Scott Walker and his political appointees should not dictate education policy in our state.

       Having said that, it seems clear that Mr. Walker has been reading recent opinion polls concerning the public’s attitude about the Common Core. A recent PDK/Gallup poll found that 60% of those polled opposed the Common Core State Standards.  When you include the 7% who are “unsure”, you find only 33% who support the CCSS.  While this is only one poll, it is consistent with reports in the media of Common Core backlash around the country. When those polled were asked why they opposed the CCSS, they said “… (the standards) would limit the flexibility of teachers to teach what they think is best.” I mention this because while it seems many school officials believe the main opposition to the Common Core State Standards is merely political, this poll reflects a consistent criticism of the way the CCSS was introduced and appears to shed light on what school administrators need to do to make school improvement work.

       The most successful teachers believe in improving schools and the experiences of their students. They recognize the need to provide thoughtful, engaging lessons in their classrooms. They understand the need for a coordinated, thoughtful curriculum. But they also understand that learning is messy. What works best for one child may not work for another. They understand that children “come to know things” in diverse ways and sometimes the “surprises” are the most significant. Teacher support is indispensable if the Common Core is to succeed in improving our schools. Unfortunately, the forces that created the CCSS seem to have forgotten that. The top down development and implementation of the CCSS offered little opportunity for teacher input. Those who had questions about the CCSS - especially the standardized tests it requires- were told to be patient. Once they had all the information, they would see how the CCSS would improve our schools. Please understand that the most successful teachers strongly support clear standards and they work hard to help students achieve those standards. Yet, as teachers have become more familiar with the CCSS, their support has dropped. In a recent Education Next poll, support for the CCSS among teachers went from 76% in 2013 to 46% in 2014.  What caused the drop? Misinformation mostly.  Teachers were led to believe that the CCSS was a new development in improving schools. Those familiar with the Professional Learning Community protocols used in Janesville schools looked forward to the opportunity to meet with professional colleagues and carefully adapt the best parts of the CCSS to their classrooms. What a surprise when teachers were compelled to sit through meeting after meeting where they were lectured –in person or via video expert - about what they would be expected to do. What a surprise when they were told they could not make a single change to the CCSS. (They could ADD up to 15%, but change nothing.) What a surprise when they discovered that none of the CCSS materials or assessments had been field tested.

       The last straw for many teachers came in the part referred to in the Janesville press release as “real accountability for student achievement and learning.” Research has demonstrated that ten years of relying on data from standardized tests under No Child Left Behind has done little to improve learning in our schools, especially for certain target populations. Teachers were hopeful that any new school improvement plans would include a wider range of assessments to determine what a student knows and is able to do. They were told the tests for the CCSS were different and better. They aren’t. The Gordon Commission – a group of highly respected, independent measurement and educational experts - concluded that Common Core tests are “far from what is ultimately needed for either accountability or classroom instructional improvement purposes.”  In places like the state of New York where testing occurred this spring, there has been a huge negative reaction from teachers and parents. These are the same standardized tests that are deceptive by making it look easy to compare one student to the next, one teacher to the next, or one school to the next. These tests will continue to narrow the curriculum, promote teaching to the test, and- worst of all - give the false impression of fairly measuring what a child truly “knows”.

       These developments have been a publicity disaster for the Common Core and a time consuming nuisance for classroom teachers. As such, even the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – the primary financial supporter of the CCSS  – is recommending a two year moratorium to carefully study how testing and the resulting data will affect students and schools. Our local school officials should support and extend this moratorium. In addition, they should facilitate the creation and implementation of district and school improvement plans that include the parts of the CCSS that best meet the needs of our local students.  They should limit the use of standardized tests and provide resources for teachers to create better performance based assessments. This would by necessity require more input from all stakeholders, including members of the community. In the meantime, they should also be actively - and publicly - advocating for more resources. Wisconsin has cut per pupil spending more than any other state in the Union save - wait for it - Alabama. These, of course, are only preliminary steps, but I have every confidence that our local teachers will do what is best for our students. 

       It is time for our local school officials to recognize that while the theory of common standards is attractive, the implementation is more complicated and personal.  It is time to acknowledge that while the Common Core provides some useful guidance as we seek to improve our schools, it cannot anticipate what is best for our students. It is time to scrap the notion that student learning can improve without the enthusiastic participation of the classroom teacher.  We all want what is best for our children.  It is not too late for school leaders to step up and help create a better path forward.