ScienceStandardsPublicForum

WaukeeBoardRoom
Wednesday,February11,2015

MarianGodwin,SusiePeterson,RyanWise,BradNiebling,DavidTilly,StaciHupp
50+peopleatthemeeting

Speaker1:TomHarvey(8:26)
Theme:ReligiousViews

ResidentandGrandpa

Importantthatwehaverationaldiscussions

WhatIwastaughtlogicandreasonandrespectothers.

Scienceismoreimportantthanmythology

Tiedtomathematicsandnotmythology

(Placard:SeparationofChurchandState.)Thankyouverymuch.

Speaker2:MicheleCrystal(9:20)AgainstNGSS
Theme:Fordham,StandardsProcess

2kidsinAdel
Lotofissues;soughtoutpeopleonthetaskforceandwhyistheNGSStheonly
standardyoulookat?Soyoumet3timesfor12hours15atmost?

Didyouhavemomsandchildrenonthegroup?
Itwasnotontheagendathatyouweregoingtovote.

DidnothavetheopportunitytodebatetheIowaCorewiththeNGSS

Fordham(unbiased)gradedIowaaD;NGSSisratedaC;
The28peoplecameupwiththebest?AforIndiana,Mass,WashingtonDC.
IfweadopttheNGSSitbleedsoverintotheIowaAssessment.
Iwantmykidstohavethebesteducation;youvotedafter3timesmeeting.Whereis
thispilotedinthestate?Whereinthestatehasthisbeentested?No,becausethere
isntone.Shameonyouandshameonthelegislature.Thisisthebestthatyoucan
comeup.

Speaker3:StevenBoesen(13:12)AgainstNGSS
Theme:Taxes,CommonCore

Parentof2teensintheAnkenyschoolsystem.Iechoalotofthethingstheladyspoke
about.ImconcernedaboutmediocritywithNGSS.Idontexpecttospendthatmuch
moneyontaxesandhaveitgotomediocrity.Concernedaboutmediocrityinthestate
andnation.IgrewupunderGovRay.Wewerealways1,2,3instandardsand
performance.Ofassessment.Whatweareproposingisnotfiscallysound.Common
core,Iowacore.Bottomofline...Idontagreewiththis.Gowiththeschools/states

thataredoingitright.Comingupwithastandardandtryingtosneakthroughinthe
middleofthenight.Iowawasagreatstate.
Imnotconvincedthatwearereallyheretolistentotheparents.InAnkenyschool
systemParents,gostandinthecornerandletusteachyourkids.Achievethe
Americandream.Wearefailingourkidsineducation.
Listentousastaxpayersandmakesurekidsarepreparedandweareresponsible.
Iencouragethisbodytoprovemewrong.Listentothetaxpayersandlistentothe
parentsandwhatwearesaying.IamrepresentingparentsfromAnkeny.Youaregoing
tohavealotofpeoplebreathingdownyournecksifyoudontlistentous.

Speaker4:LeslieBeck(WrittenCommentsSubmittedalso)17:25
AgainstNGSS
Theme:Fordham,Environment,LocalControl,StandardsProcess

Waukee2kids,formerMathteacher.OpposedtoNGSS.
1.Inferiorcomparedtootheroptions.FordhaminstitutegaveIowaaD.NGSSaC.
Lookatotherstatesandlookatwhatisbetter.
ObservedTaskforcein2014Witnessedsomeonebeingignoredwhentheybroughtup
theFordhamreport.NGSSwasshowninapositivelight.NGSSwouldbeadopted.
2.Futhersanagenda;NGSSisagendadriven.Willmakeitintothescienceclassroom.
Doesntgofarenoughinteachingenvironmentalism.Otherssayitgoestoofar.These
issueshaventbeensettledyet.Whyincludethemiftheyarenotfoundational?
Scientistsdontagree.
3.NGSSnotIowastandardsanddoesntallowforlocalcontrol.
RespectfullyaskthatyourejecttheNGSS.

Speaker5:ShaneVanderhart(21:12)
Themes:StandardsProcess,Environment,NGSSContent,Evolution

Echoalittlebitwhatthelast3;

Partofthetaskforce1stsessionwasacommercialforNGSS;

SeveralpeoplementionedFordham
1. Essentialcontentomitted
2. Contentnotexplicitlystated
3. Modelordesignisinconsistently
4. Regulatedstandards
5. Articulationofassessmentstandardssetsaceiling
Agendadrivenprocess
NGSSbringsevolutiontoearlygrades;MSandgradeschoolkidsarenotabletojudge
thedifferencebetweenfamilybeliefsandschoolandconsiderthatforthemselves.
ImpactofemphasisonClimateChangeandhowthatisbeinggivenahugerolein
Science.Worthytodiscuss,butnotfoundational


Speaker6:JoyLinn(24:45)
Themes:Fordham,NGSSContent,Taxes

3boysJohnston,specialneeds,8thgraderand6thgraderhomeschool

doesntdirectlyapplytohimexceptforstandardizedtests

ReadtheReportandsawthattherewereissues.
1. GradeofaC;IrequireaBinmyhome.
2. Essentialcontentmissing.Scienceasawholeishardforkidswithout
thewholepicture.Sameasmath...universitiesaredemandingwe
arentteachingwhatkidsneedforcollege.
3. NGSSasksthemtoknowthingsathigherlevelwhoknowthe5th
gradeteacherwhoknewfilledintheblanks.
4. Errorsarealsoabigproblem.Particularlyfornewteachers.Older
teachersknowthoseerrorsandfixtheerrors.Newteachersmaynot
pickuponthoseerrors.Theyareoverwhelmedteachingthose
errors.
5. Standardsthatarepoor;poorteaching;poorlearning;poortest
scoresandwekeepgoingdown.
6. GoesagainsttheSTEMthatothersarepushing.Sciencestandards
dontsupporttheSTEM.
IliveinJohnston.HusbandhasagreatjobandIcanstayhome.47%increaseintaxes;
7%riseinsurance.Wearestruggling.NGSSwillnothelp.

Speaker7:DeniseBubeck(30:50)
Themes:CommonCore+,NGSSContent,StandardsProcess,Fordham,

Environment

Grimes,Iowa
Readastatementfromsomeoneelse

RepRalphWattsTaskforcemeetings.

NGSSwhydoweneednewstandards?Basicsciencesalready.

IreviewedtheNGSSandhowitwouldbe

ItwasthesamegroupthatdidMathandEnglishintheCCmaterial.

Environmentalandhumansintheclimatechange.
NowDenisesComments:
AlotofpeopletalkedabouttheFordhaminstitute

12otherstatesweregivenhighergradesBorhigher

Iowanscandobetter;MA,Cal,Ind,Virginia

AsktheDEtolookatthem.Iwenttoallthetaskforcemeetings.

Iappreciatethepublicmeetings.Thankyouforhavingthat.

Speaker8:TomODonnell(34:00)SupportNGSS
Themes:Environment+;Evolution+;ReligiousViews,NGSSContent+

2sons;UrbandaleHigh

Sciencewriter;Wenttoonetaskforcemeeting.

SkimmedthroughtheNGSS

InterestingpointstohearSomeofthepointswereincorrect
Otherstateswereconsidered:Ohio,MAotherswereconsidered
Taskforcewhetheritwasrailroadedornot;sayingthatIowashould

lookatit.Anditsbeinglookedat.Itwasthevote.
Ihaventreadthemthroughindetail.Withadocsocomplex,there

willbeproblems.Ifpeopleareflexibleandabletochangelater

on.
Whetherthestandardsputclimatechangefrontandcenterornot.Its
imptochildrenwhenwearelongdeadandgone.Thevocalpeoplearenot
environmentalists.Itdoesnotbenefitustoburyourheads.Allweareasking
thatwelookatenergy.Tothinkaboutourresources.Thisisaprinciple.
Evolutionissettledscience.IknowthatupsetspeoplewhobelievetheBible.I
amCatholicandyetIcanholdthatandthestandards.Whatwillweteach?The
Christianversion?TheHinduVersion?
NGSSisinquirybased.Itisaskillthatiscriticallyimportant.Wedontknowtheissue.
Asktherightquestions;seekthesolutions;andIrecommendthattheNGSScontinueto
beusedasabaseforIowasciencestandards.

Speaker9:SandraThompson(39:47)
Theme:Evolution,Environment

Regardlessofwhatevertheprogram,Iencourageyoutalkingaboutevolution
andclimatechange;Lookatscientificbasedreviewsandencourageourchildrentohave
acuriosityaboutscience.

Speaker10:JasonBenett(41:06)ForNGSS
Themes:NGSSContent+,Religion

DM2yearolddaughter

IsupporttheNGSS.Developedbycoalitionofscientistsandeducators
Understandingtheworldaroundthem.IfwedontimplementNGSS

somethingwillbe.
Iamexcitedaboutevidenceoverideology.Evidencebasedcurriculum.Strictlyabout
thenaturalsciences.Thisprogramgivesourkidsthetoolsto...evaluateevidence...
whichleadstothingslikeeradicationofsmallpoxandfindingothergalaxies.Natural
selection;germtheory.Extremelyimportantandreal.Thislaysthefoundationtokeep
ourstateandnation.
ImgladthatweareabletocommentaboutNGSS

NGSSmaybenotthewholecloth,butbetterforscience.Thinkaboutsciencenotthis
grouporideology.ThisisbestforourkidsandforIowa.

Speaker11:HeatherStancil(44:30)
Themes:NGSSContent,StandardsAProcess

TelecommunicationandEMofstem

Ireadoverthestandards

Thereisalotofengineeringinthestandards;

Scienceandengineeringare2differentthings.

Sciencediscoveryexperience.

Engineeringmakethingswork
Theyworkin2differentspheres;complimentarybutqualitative
standardsnotquantitative.

Qualitativestandards

Ibelievestandardsshouldbeempiricallyneutral.

Neutralgoinwithanopenmind.
Anotherissuenotalotofchemistryandphysics.EspeciallywiththeSTEM.Not
preparedifgoingintoamedicalfield.Theywillnotbereadyforthisandthefirsttime
theyseethisisincollege.
Ihadgreatteachersandanexcellentbasetochangecareers.
Standardsarelowerthanwhatweneed.
Othersstateshaveotherstandardsthatarebetter.Iwantthebest.
Idontunderstandhowthesewerepicked.Lookatotherstandardsthatwererated
better.HaveourkidshavethatdiscoveryandexcitementthatIhad.Ifitwasntfor
greatstandardsandgreatteachers,Iwouldnotbehere.
Appreciatethetimefortheforumandtotalktootherpeople.

Speaker12:MirandaBlackford(49:45)
Themes:Fordham;NGSSContent

Dontknowtoomuchaboutthestandards.5,8twogirlshomeschool

Homeschoolallowsmetohavethemthinkoutofthebox.Explore.Reasoning.
HavingastandardthatisputonthembythegovernmentisnothowIwantthemtobe.
Gobeyondtheceilingthatisset.Thetestswillbedifferentthanwhattheyaretaught
athome.Idontwantthemtobeconfused.Theymighthavereachedthesame
solution,butnotthesameprocess.
Imploretheboardtohaveahigherstandard.NotwhatIhopeformychildrentohave
thatceiling.Learnwhattheywanttolearn.Notpigeonholedintoacertaindirection.

Speaker13:LarryClayton.(WrittenCommentsSubmittedAlso)(52:00)
Themes:CommonCore,Taxpayer,NGSSContent

JournalistfromMeredithCorp

Icantelltherearedivergentopinions.Hopefully,notbasedonmythology.
Ihaveacareerlisteningtopeople.Ihaveseenalotofrailroadinginmylife.Itispartof
theprocessbypeoplewhowanttogetthingsthrough.

Thesearescarytimesforeveryone.IwouldliketoremindtheDE.CreatedbyAndrew
Johnson.1979CarternewDofEd.Thenextcoupleofyears...Reagan...
campaigntorestoreexcellenceinedu.Bush/Clinton/Bush/KennedyNoChildLeft
Behind.2010CommonCoreAm.publichasbeenpromisedTaxpayersleftwitha
mediocreeducation.Canweexpectmorefromthesestandards?Wouldntbetthe
farmonit.

Speaker14:JoannieBecker(55:35)SupportsNGSS
Themes:CommonCore,NGSSOrganization+,NGSSContent+

Motherandteacher

IhavealwayslovedScience.IwanttosharemyNGSSexperience.Istrongly
supportNGSS.Itaughtinastatewithlocalcontrol.Thatwaschaos.
IhelpedwritetheIowaCorestillleavestoomuchuptoeachteacher.
NGSStellsyouhowtoessentialcontentwithessentialskillssettobehaveandthinklike
ascientist.Weaveseverythingaltogether.
Notseparatedfromtheothercurriculumarea.Ihaventseenthatfromotherstates.

AskedtolookattheNGSSbeforeitwasadopted;NGSSwasimplementedparents
complainedthatitwastoohard.Iwasaskingthemtodocollegelevelwork.Itriedto
tellthemIwasaresearcher.

IcouldntdothisifwedonotimplementNGSSwearevastlyunderservingour
students.
WeHavetoactIowaCoreorNGSSwhenwefoundoutitsstillbeingdebated.They
wentbacktotheirfavoriateunits.Wehavetomakeadecisionandwehavetomakeit
soon.Idontwantmykidstothinkscienceisadinounit.Thisisastepforward.Thank
you.

Nooneelseat5:40Done