Issue Position: Common Core Standards

Issue Position

Federal dollars are few compared to the dollars that local taxpayers pay for public education. Taxpayers fund the lion's share while having the smallest voice and least control in directing local school districts. The taxpayer's voice becomes a whisper when the state gets funding from US Department of Education (DoED) strings-attached grant programs. These programs take away local control while burdening local school districts with heavy implementation costs that DoED and non-profit funds do not cover.

With funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governor's Association (NGA) Center created, copyrighted, and signed states up for Common Core State Standards (CCSS) before the standards were even written. Bait & Switch: CCSS is packaged as: 1) a set of "internationally benchmarked" K-12 standards and 2) created by local school districts with input of parents and a partnership of educators. Inside the package we find that CCSS is an expensive, unproven education fad that places a diversity of students in the same box.

Five members on the CCSSO/NGA Validation Committee refused their approval of the English Language Arts (ELA) component of CCSS. One expert, Sandra Stotsky, Professor of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas, is on record stating (among other serious flaws) 1) that the quality of CCSS-ELA for grades 6-12 are especially low, 2) there is a lack of international benchmarking, and 3) the fact that these standards are not created by local school districts.

I talked with a member of the Parma City School Board who insists that CCSS math is better and more challenging. I disagree, as does Stanford's Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, James Milgrim. He was the only math expert that served on the CCSSO/NGA Validation Committee. He refused his approval of CCSS math standards and has spoken around the country on the failure of CCSS to prepare anyone for college level work in mathematics. Professor Milgrim notes in a parentsacrossamerica.org article that, "By the end of seventh grade Core Standards are roughly two years behind."

Yet, Ohio taxpayers remain on the hook for the expensive and unproven CCSS. For 2012-2013, Parma schools have alreadyspent: ~$1.6 million on CCSS-aligned textbooks and curriculum; ~$500,000 for wireless internet access;and plan to spend ~$2.8 million each yearon Apple Ipads or MacBooks for students in every grade. These are just some of CCSS associated costs for what experts have deemed to be a sub-standard program.

Ohio needs to get off the hook and get back to the basics: reading, writing, arithmetic, and local control. State Rep. Andy Thompson introduced HB 237 to repeal our involvement with CCSS along with its testing arm, PARCC assessments (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career). In addition, this important bill seeks to protect students and teachers by placing restrictions on the use of their digitally collected personal data. This bill has my full support.

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