Please select the one

role that best describes

you.
Please select any
of the below
that also apply
to you.
Please use this space to comment on anything about the Standards
for English Language Arts not addressed in earlier questions.
autism specialist
citizen Mathematician
consultant, retired K-
12 Math Specialist,
Past President NCCTM
Curriculum
Coordinator
Curriculum Facilitator Mathematician
District Director
District Math Leader Mathematician
doctoral candidate,
early childhood
education
grand parent
Health Education
Specialist & Teacher
Trainer
home educator
home school parent
Home School Parent
and Teacher
Home School
Parent/Teacher
I do not support any type of standard of learning legislated by any
branch of the US Government or State Government. We have the
right to educate our children in the manner and setting, using the
curriculum that we determine is best aligned with our specific
child's abilities, talents, and readiness for learning. I have the
freedom and right to do this in my home with no involvement or
intervention from any organization or government representative.
Homeschool parent I think I said enough.
Homeschool
Parent/Teacher
Please consult with and work with national homeschool groups such
as the Homeschool Legal Defense Association when considering any
matters that affect the education of our children. Homeschoolers in
America number in the millions and are showing great success in
educating their children. We do so at great sacrifices to our own
finances, careers and time in order to provide our children with top
quality education. We come from all walks of life and all religions.
We are real people with real love and concern for our children's
welfare and future. Work with us, not against us!
Homeschool Teacher Mathematician
Homeschool Teacher
Homeschool Teacher Mathematician
Homeschool teacher &
parent
In my opinion, this would infringe on our parental rights to teach
our children in accordance with our beliefs and values, as one of our
important personal freedoms in this country, and as stated earlier,
our family is adamantly opposed.
Homeschooler
Homeschooling Mom
homeschooling parent WHILE I AGREE THAT YOUR "STANDARDS" ARE CLEAR, YOUR
METHODOLOGY IS NICE IN "THEORY" BUT A BIGGER ISSUE NEEDS
TO BE ADDRESSED BEFORE YOU GO MAKING ALL THESE
STANDARDS. YOUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE OVERCROWDED, YOUR
TEACHERS ARE DOING LESS TEACHING AND MORE
"PARENTING"/BABYSITTING WHILE AT WORK WHEN THEY ARE
SUPPOSED TO BE TEACHING! I DOUBT STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO
MEET THESE STANDARDS UNLESS THEY ARE
HOMESCHOOLED(WHERE THERE IS PLENTY OF TIME FOR REVIEW
AND REAL TIME SPENT ON INSTRUCTION/TEACHING), OR
SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA THERE IS A SCHOOL WITH THE IDEAL
STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO, ENOUGH RESOURCES TO MEET EACH
STUDENTS NEEDS, AND THEY ALL COME FROM PERFECT HOMES
AND BEHAVE SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE AT SCHOOL....GOOD LUCK
FINDING THIS, AND UNTIL YOU DO, I THINK YOU NEED TO STOP
WASTING MONEY AND TIME ON "THEORIES" AND MORE
Instructional Coach Mathematician
K-12
HOMESCHOOLING
PARENT
K-12 Math specialist
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher Good job!
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher The phonics and writing sections are tremendously challenging for
young children. I question the ability to master these skills and goals
as quickly as the time line/curriculum is allowing. There is an awful
lot of skills that look to be rather abstract; thus, developmentally
INappropriate for young children. I do like the introduction of
research skills and literary responses. I also like the introduction of
literature to the curriculum, but it seems rather short and specific to
one area. I would prefer a more integrated approach and
curriculum. Excretory system in second grade? Nope. I would think
that such systems that focus on the five senses would make better
sense....no pun intended.
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher In your introduction you referred to English Language Learners and
stated they should be taught these standards, which I agree with,
but alluded to the fact that they may take longer to achieve these
goals. Have you referenced research on ELL (ESL/LEP) students to
determine when they should be expected to perform at grade level,
and made provisions for this, instead of blaming teachers for not
teaching when they have not even been in the U.S. educational
system long enough? I personally feel these students should be
tested, but their scores should be disaggregated when computing
statistics for governmental agencies, until they have been in the
system an appropriate number of years, and I guarantee you this is
NOT being done.
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher Mathematician Because formal English language is not spoken at home--slang is--all
students should be considered as English as a Second Language
students. There should be great effort put on the importance of
vocabulary and writing in correct English at all times in all subjects.
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher Mathematician This is a repeat of an earlier statement. These standards have
totally forgotten the nature of young children. Research has
repeatedly and recently shown that children in the early grades
need lots of time for instructional and developmentally appropriate
play and these standards do not allow for that. I am a kindergarten
teacher and I take each child where he/she is and move them as far
along as I possibly can. Many of our young children enter
kindergarten, however, with very limited play and language
experiences. These children do not need rigorous standards. They
need teachers and administrators who understand the nature of the
young child. Please consider reading research on the importance of
activity and play for young children and completely revamp these
standards. Thank you.
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher Mathematician Not every student plans to go to college. We are not meeting the
needs of these students. Not every student comes from a home that
provides a background for the kind of learning described here. What
do we do with those students who are doomed to failure in such a
rigid curriculum. Fourth grade students are 9 or 10 years old. They
are very much children. We already expect much more than they
should be expected to do. Instead of teaching things well, we end
up stabbing at a curriculum that is above the learning curve of a
young child. We would do better to provide a good sound
elementary education to elementary students so that they are
ready to build on that knowledge in upper grades. As it its, so many
children are "beaten up" by education. They are expected to
produce work beyond their ability at such a young age. Why don't
we do a good job on basic things and work towards building a base
for learning in the upper grades?
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher I would be interested in how many current teachers are on the
committee who created these standards. Is there a variety of
educators and teacher leaders from across the United States,
including those states serving many ESL and high-poverty students?
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
Please continue to seek teacher input, and present the standards as
an evolving document. Good standards should continually be
improved and respond to changes in CCR demands, as well as
improved understanding of teaching and curriculum.
K-12 Teacher Mathematician We need more support to be able to reach these goas in Title 1
schools. 50% of the students do not have the background to get to
the complex level.
K-12 Teacher The entire focus on specific academic skills like writing and learning
to read are not appropriate for the youngest grades. We need to
look at what children are ready for developmentally and then meet
those needs through play-based learning. There are successful
models for this type of instruction, such as antiochschool.org and
centralparkschoolforchildren.org.
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher I think that there is some higher level thinking skills missing in
kindergarten. For example, predicting what the story is about or
what will happen next. Also, making personal connections to the
stories that have been read.
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher just reiterating -- keep the number of standards to a minimum --
only covering 2/3 to 3/5 of the school year. Give students time to
learn and teachers time to teach and not just cover and move one.
Put in time to reteach, extend and explore.
Be specific on words to be used.
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher The standards to not age level appropriate. Students should not be
looked down upon because they are not working up to the
standards listed.
K-12 Teacher What words are considered to be grade specific?
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher I believe any attempts by Congress to create nationalized standards,
curriculum or testing would be unconstitutional. 'Homeschool
families have demonstrated that parents, not bureaucrats in
Washington, best know their children and what they need to learn.'
Homeschooling families pay for their own children to be educated
and also pay taxes to help other children. Schools now are too
small for the number of children they have, specials like music and
art are being cut, some classes children share textbooks because
there aren't enough to go around....just think if the 41,000+
homeschooled children were required to go to public school. What
would the schools do then? Congressman Buck McKeon (CA), the
ranking member on the House Education and Labor Committee
said, "Some people in Washington seem to think that the federal
government created the states to administer its far-reaching
programs and policies. But that's not the case. History tells us that
the states created the federal government." I'm telling you, I
oppose any calls for nationalized standards, testing, or curricula.
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher This is national standards wrapped up in a new name, plain and
simple. You're taking away the rights of parents to decide what is
best for their children AND you're taking away states' rights to
decide what is best for their residents.
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher Please stop moving abstract concepts down into the elementary
school. Students are not developmentally ready for many of the
concepts that we are told to teach them, therefore they do not do
well on the state tests.
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher Nothing more.
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher Reading and Math is indeed the key in higher education and
preparing the youth for the future. After looking at all the standards
I see no real integration of technology that will help the
students career wise. Students learning to select A/B/C/ and D
on various technological software applications does not support
students in learning how to truly utilize basic software application to
present the various content of math, reading and real world
applications of science, technology and math. This concept will
continue to put us way behind other countries. If students cannot
articulate procedures and elaborate on the whys they have done
nothing but memorized strategies and methods with rigor but no
real impact of learning.
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher The Common Core State Standards even though currently voluntary
seems to set the stage for future mandatory (federal money
contingent) National Standards for the entire United States in the
future. This type of move would result in more standardized tests
and the elimination of local school board and parent control over
the curriculum of their children. I believe this would be making a
grave mistake concerning our children's education. First of
all, it turns upside down the natural order of who should be raising
our children, parents first, then schools, then our government. The
continued move towards National Standards and Federal
Government control places the Government as the primary parent
over our children, and erodes parental rights. This cannot be
Second, by removing control from parents and local school boards,
you remove the sense of personal ownership that is necessary for
the success of the educational partnership between parents, local
schools, and students. Third, by making across the board
non-differentiated standards and more standardized tests (which
are bound to accompany such standards), you sabotage student
learning. According to the most current data, the way to get the
most out of each student is through differentiated learning with the
ideal being for each student to have a home school like IGP and
lessons tailored to fit each students strengths, weaknesses, and
interests. By establishing and eventually mandating National
Standards you are leading the entire nation in the exact opposite
direction and further turning education into a factory assembly line
when it is obvious that not all students and families have the same
interests, goals, or needs. In the end, more government control is
bad for parental rights, bad for local schools, and ultimately bad for
the students you are trying to help.
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher
K-12 Teacher Nationalized curriculum and testing would take away local control
over education by allowing unelected bureaucrats, not parents and
local school boards, to decide what subjects should be taught in
schools and how. It would also lead to pressure on homeschooled
and private schooled students to use the same national curriculum
and take the same national test as public school students. Although
termed voluntary,these standards would not actually be
voluntary. This legislation represents another attempt by the
federal government to centralize educational choices. Proponents
of the nationalized standard argue that the standards are voluntary
and that they still leave the curriculum decision to local control.
However, national standards are a first step to a national curriculum
and national testing. Certain federal education funds to the states
would be contingent on the states adopting the standards, which
would place incredible pressure on the states to accept these
national standards.
And if some states resisted efforts to adopt the standards, this
could easily lead to calls to make the standards mandatory in the
name of being fair to all students. Furthermore, unelected
bureaucrats would be able to choose what they believe every
school child should be taught. For the time being, the actual details
of how the courses would be taught would still be left to local
control, but the ultimate decisions of what would be taught would
be in the hands of centralized education planners in Washington,
D.C. For these reasons, national standards must be opposed just as
national curriculum and testing were opposed.
K-12 Teacher Mathematician
K-12 Teacher and
Parent
It is my desire as a parent to prepare my own child in whatever
manner I so choose. Currently, many states already have similar
standards and children are still failing to meet minimal testing
standards. Additionally, many teachers and parents believe, that
standards such as these lead to teaching for testing. I believe that
teacher salaries should be raised as well as incentives given to high
performing teachers. Additionally, I do not feel that parents desires
to teach or not teach particular elements of a curriculum should be
superseded by government standards.
K-12 Teacher/Sch.
Adm./Postsec.
Faculty/Researcher
math coach Mathematician
Media Coordinator Stop wasting our tax dollars on this program. It is just Goals 2000 re-
named.
occupational therapist
Parent We are opposed to any government program of intervention into
the lives of children and families.
Nationalized standards are inappropriate on several levels. On the
national level they are wrong because they take away the right of
the states to determine what they believe is appropriate for their
specific subcultures in their states. It is wrong on the local level
because it takes away or greatly reduces the input and expertise of
the teacher, the local school boards and the parents. Philisophically
it is detrimental because eventually it is allows lawmakers to make
decisions about our children's education not those daily connected
with students and their issues.
Parent
Parent See prior comments
Parent
Parent I do not believe any standards are necessary. I believe this another
attempt for the government to claim more control over children's
lives and strip parental authority.
Parent Mathematician
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent Same as previous comments.
Parent
Parent
Parent The stated goal of this initiative is to create a national network of
common core academic standards. This initiative, if implemented,
would constitute a drastic governmental intervention into the lives
of students and families. The ultimate goal of its proponents is to
place children, from birth until graduation from college, into
government-run programs and schools. This as a serious threat to
parental rights and ultimately, educational freedom. When
parental rights and educational freedom are removed from the
academia, the result is bondage to the state, stifled initiative, lower
quality education and an amoral society unaware that God is the
standard bearer for all of life, not just education. I am, therefore,
adamantly opposed to this initiative and am working to keep it from
being implemented.
Parent I strongly opposes this initiative or any other national standards.
As I stated earlier, I don't agree with "core standards" especially
when they become the main goal which would most likely happen
because people (educators and administrators) don't seem to be
able to use good judgement and individualize very well in most
cases in recent years. It just seems as though people tend to rely on
experts and "core standards" rather than their own common sense
which is a valuable tool.
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent I believe that this threatens parental rights and ultimately,
homeschool freedom. These "standards" call for a seamless
government program of intervention into the lives of children and
families. Parents, not federal or state officials, should make child-
rearing decisions for their children.
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent As referenced in my earlier comment, I am concerned with issues of
cultural literacy. I don't consider a "great books" curriculum
necessary, but it does seem that students' exposure to the Western
literary and philosophical traditions is somewhat patchwork in
nature. Additionally, I was struck by the extent to which the skills
the new common or core standards seeks to impart are the very
same skills I find myself attempting to ingrain in students as a
community college educator: the ability to attend to nuances of
meaning, to draw reasonable inferences, to construct arguments
rooted in reasoned support that anticipates and critically engages
opposing views--these are competencies with which my students
(as well as those of my colleagues, if our common experiences are
any effective gauge) have pronounced difficulty. Indeed, many of
them cannot produce a single page of written commentary that is
not marred by significant grammatical and mechanical errors.
That this is the case leads me to wonder about the ramifications of
any serious commitment to these new core/common standards:
given how high they are, one can safely assume their earnest
application will result in large numbers of students failing. I think
that is as it should be; a minority of people within a given
generation are genuinely suitable for education, in the sense of
having the intellectual capacity to benefit from it and to engage it in
a sophisticated manner. We need to do much more towards
directing students who do not have an interest in education as an
end unto itself to programs allowing them to pursue the work-
related training to which they are best-suited. But we also need to
rid our educational theory and our cultural discourse of the notion
that higher education and a professional status are for everyone. If
we are serious about hewing to the standards outlined in the report
to which I am responding here, the dividing line can be fairly well-
drawn without too much difficulty--but therein lies the rub. .
Especially in the era of No Child Left Behind, I wonder as to how the
pressure to see students succeed will be balanced with the
imperative to hold them to genuinely meaningful, high standards.
What I fear is a watering-down of the standards proposed in your
report, but if those standards are consistently and rigorously
imposed, it would be a great boon to our society
Parent
Parent Mathematician
Parent Mathematician
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent Who ever put together this no child left behind act did not have
students presently in the Occupational course of study in mind or
are even aware of their academic skills and abilities. If they even
had a clue then these changes would not be affecting them.
Parent Language Standards K-5 pg 23 the word "Observe" at the beginning
of each standard is unclear...what does that really mean?
Kindergarten - add the words "with support as needed" to each
Standard Conventions in Writing and Speaking - #1e - delete "and
writing activities" Vocabulary Acquisition and Use - # 4c -
delete...inappropriate expectation #5b - explain "shades of
meaning" more clearly The foundational (K-3) years are critical in
literacy development. A focus on oral language development is key,
as well. Have the experts clearly articulated the importance of oral
language? How can it be more deliberately addressed in these
standards?
Parent
Parent Mathematician There are many standards that use 2 and more verbs. This is not
clear and will also make assessment difficult--what verb do we
assess? Any standard that needs to be read 2 or more times to
figure out what it means is too much! This draft is much better than
the previous draft, but I still feel there is work to do in order to truly
make these standards applicable to ALL students.
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent/Secondary
Educator/PhD
Candidate in Education
Postsecondary
Faculty/Researcher
Postsecondary
Faculty/Researcher
Mathematician
Postsecondary
Faculty/Researcher
Postsecondary
Faculty/Researcher
Preschool teacher and
Social worker
Professional
DEvelopment Birth-
third grade
Public Health Educator
Related Services,
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Retired 9 - 12 Math
and Science Teacher
retired NYC H.S.
English teacher
retired NYC H.S. math
teacher
School
Administrator/Leader
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School
Administrator/Leader
School
Administrator/Leader
School
Administrator/Leader
Mathematician
Science Curriculum
Specialist
Social Studies Specialist
special education
teacher
State Level Consultant
K-3
Student