An appointed bureaucrat does not necessarily have to answer or listen to the public. So it is with Dr. John King, Jr., he is appointed by the New York State Board of Regents to serve as New York State Education Commissioner. Last night, Dr. King ignored opposition from parents, teachers, and principals voicing opposition to the Common Core Standards adopted by the state. Forward, he moves toward implementing Common Core Standards, and assessments! Elected State School Chiefs, such as June Atkinson in our state SHOULD pay far more attention to the public. But we will see what happens in North Carolina when the Common Core Assessment scores are released in November.
Meanwhile, The National Center for Fair & Open Testing knows as FairTest organized a letter signed by over 120 children’s authors to the White House. The letter urges the President to curb policies that promote excessive standardized testing. While “Common Core Standards” were not specifically mentioned, the whole aspect of testing and the President’s policies reflect his endorsement of Common Core Standards with the assessments.
The growing opposition continues to rally groups into a VERY strange coalition. From Glenn Beck, to Diane Ravitch – tea party groups to FairTest – and now everyday moms, dads, students, teachers, principals, even superintendents are speaking out. I am not sure even the best of the bureaucrats can continue to ignore the outspoken frustrations of the public.