Meanwhile, in Saugerties
Time and time again, one hears of teachers, parents and students being confused by unexplained shifts in vocabulary in subjects one would think would be simple to understand.
“My child exited second grade with math sheets that said this for instructions: add/subtract,” said Cheryl Newkirk. “She entered third grade with instructions that say ‘use rounding or compatible numbers to estimate the sum or difference.’ Where were the baby steps that led up to this type of changed language?”
Allison Igoe Boek, whose children are in first and third grades, adds that “it has different concepts from what we were taught, therefore it can be difficult to help them with their homework sometimes.” She points out that on one particular homework assignment in math, “I and other mothers had to do fruitless Internet research to help our kids complete it.”
Another frequent complaint charges that the new curriculum doesn’t take into account different learning styles. “As an educator myself, we know that teaching is not successful when we try cookie cutter techniques or a ‘one size fits all’ approach,” said Boek.
Though these mothers both say that their children’s grades haven’t suffered as a result, their morale has. Newkirk says that her daughter feels “exhausted” and complains that “they don’t do anything fun anymore.”
She’s not a fan of the role played by private companies in the curriculum.
“I feel as though my child is a guinea pig bought by big business, and the interests of children have been replaced by numbers and standards,” she said.
Turner, speaking at a forum last fall – as a citizen and not as a representative of the district – said he believes Common Core is another trend which will pass, like the Regents Action Plan and No Child Left Behind. None of these reform agendas worked because they weren’t given enough time. Just when scores started to improve under each system, the government stepped in and said the schools “must be gaming the system,” and imposed a shift to another technique, he said.
Turner believes that in order to truly improve education, we need to go back to basics. He stresses that “we need good writers and we need good readers. We need students who have good, sound principles in science, in history, in music and art. Once you build those fundamental skills you can then adapt to whatever is coming down the pike.”
Poll: How do you feel about the Common Core?
