The Contentious Common Core Controversy #2

Some blog followers might be interested in a recent post “The Contentious Common Core Controversy #2” [Hake (2013b)]. The abstract reads:

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ABSTRACT: In response to my post “The Contentious Common Core Controversy” [Hake (2013a)] at http://bit.ly/Y7ocMv, an EDDRA2 subscriber alerted me privately to Thomas Newkirk's (2013) valuable essay “Speaking Back to the Common Core” at http://bit.ly/15vjIpa. Newkirk http://bit.ly/YtZetD raises the following concerns: (1) Conflict of Interest, (2) Misdiagnosis of the problem, (3) Developmental inappropriateness, (4) A sterile view of reading, (5) Underplaying role of narrative, (6) A reform that gives extraordinary power to standardized tests. (7) A bonanza for commercialism, (8) Standards directing instruction, (9) Drowning out other conversations.

Newkirk then adds “Now it may be that I am wrong. . . . . I have colleagues I respect who think so. It may be that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) does what others claim they will - encourage good pedagogical discussion, clarify goals, help students read deeply, give writing its proper place in the curriculum, expand the repertoire in English Language Arts to a focus on quality nonfiction. And that the initiative won’t dissolve into teaching to the new tests. Let’s hope so. But I'm left with the question: Who watches the watcher? Who assesses the assessor? That's our job. We’ve come too far, learned too much, invented too much to diminish our practice by one iota to accommodate the Common Core. When and if we see it impeding our best work, it is not too late to speak up.”
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To access the complete 10 kB post please click on http://bit.ly/Wtj62R.

Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
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REFERENCES [URL shortened by http://bit.ly/ and accessed on 05 March 2013.]
Hake, R.R. 2013a. “The Contentious Common Core Controversy,” online on the OPEN! AERA-H archives at http://bit.ly/Y7ocMv. Post of 3 Mar 2013 11:01:22 to AERA-H and Net-Gold. The abstract and link to the complete post were transmitted to several discussion lists and are also on my blog “Hake'sEdStuff” at http://bit.ly/Z7TV0W with a provision for comments.

Hake, R.R. 2013b. “The Contentious Common Core Controversy #2” online on the OPEN! AERA-L archives at http://bit.ly/Wtj62R. Post of 5 Mar 2013 11:32:15-0800 to AERA-L and Net-Gold. The abstract and link to the complete post are being transmitted to several discussion lists.