State of the State - case closed, money is bad for schools

[Rage Against the McKee]

I'd need to see a comparison of standardized test scores to decide whether it's a good thing or not. Some of my coworkers bitch about it a lot and the math homework does look like it would be frustrating if you like to help your kid with his/her homework and don't know how to do the various methods it asks you to use to solve the problems. Then again, it's really the kid's fault for not paying better attention in class.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

I think it's good to teach kids different ways to conceptualize problems. A lot of it is not conceptual, just stupid.

The English and communication stuff is just trash.

[CNS]

My point is that the main force against Common Core is a band of retards that portray it as if the Fed has developed a curriculum and KS has to eat it, yet the man who you and I pay to review such things, report on such things, then vote on such things isn't even starting the process he is paid for.  He is simply advancing the BS talking point that isn't even true.

In the mean time, last year's standardized tests were completely discounted.  KS petitioned the fed govt to make sure the scores were not published for public consumption.  KS is spending a bunch of time to make sure Common Core doesn't go through, but can't get their standardized test developed in enough time that the practice portions of it could even be used last year.  The actual implementation of the test took three times as long for my districts elementary kids to take because KS can't provide an adequate platform/server/whatevs to handle the traffic of thousands of kids signing on at one time and the thing kept crashing mid test.  Mid test crashes mean the kids start over at question #1.  Three times as long means that the kids lost 2-3 weeks of other non-test instruction last spring semester.  This year, testing starts in my district in less than two months and the test still isn't ready, the practice portion isn't ready, and all info I have received from our district says that there has been almost nothing done to stabilize the system so that it doesn't crash this year when everyone signs on again. 

To an non-politician, it almost appears that the state wants it's kids to fail given the above and further cuts in funding. 

[Rage Against the McKee]

Why doesn't the state just issue paper tests?

[CNS]

One other really funny note on this testing:

My kid's school has told teachers to find a way to stop printing homework as much as possible because budget.

In order for a kid to take a KS test, this year, they have to have a randomly generated ticket with a randomly generated number on it, given to them as they walk into the testing room.  They open the test, type in their ticket number, and proceed.  The ticket helps track to make sure the ppl taking the test are who they are supposed to be.  Anyway, in most testing grades, each kid has to take multiple tests and some tests take more than one session, meaning quite a few tickets per kid.  Each ticket has to be a hard copy for some reason and so now the district is freaking out because this is going to equate to many thousands of tickets being printed off and they already don't have the budget for paper/toner/etc to finish off the year under their current limited use.

All this before the new cuts.

[Rage Against the McKee]

Sounds like the administrators should maybe just sack up and buy some damned toner.

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

Rep dove is quoted in our local paper(he is my rep and lives in my neighborhood) as saying he hasn't even read the bill on common core back then and didn't plan to.  He also was quoted as saying that he wasn't sure what common core fully contained. 

Slavery of the mind, tho.

Every bill is too long to read and too complex for one person to fully understand. There should be a limit.

Bills, how do they work?

Here you go:

[Skipper44]

I'd need to see a comparison of standardized test scores to decide whether it's a good thing or not. Some of my coworkers bitch about it a lot and the math homework does look like it would be frustrating if you like to help your kid with his/her homework and don't know how to do the various methods it asks you to use to solve the problems. Then again, it's really the kid's fault for not paying better attention in class.

ya, it is very aggravating as a BSME and not being able to help your 3rd grader on her homework without using google

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

My point is that the main force against Common Core is a band of retards that portray it as if the Fed has developed a curriculum and KS has to eat it, yet the man who you and I pay to review such things, report on such things, then vote on such things isn't even starting the process he is paid for.  He is simply advancing the BS talking point that isn't even true.

In the mean time, last year's standardized tests were completely discounted.  KS petitioned the fed govt to make sure the scores were not published for public consumption.  KS is spending a bunch of time to make sure Common Core doesn't go through, but can't get their standardized test developed in enough time that the practice portions of it could even be used last year.  The actual implementation of the test took three times as long for my districts elementary kids to take because KS can't provide an adequate platform/server/whatevs to handle the traffic of thousands of kids signing on at one time and the thing kept crashing mid test.  Mid test crashes mean the kids start over at question #1.  Three times as long means that the kids lost 2-3 weeks of other non-test instruction last spring semester.  This year, testing starts in my district in less than two months and the test still isn't ready, the practice portion isn't ready, and all info I have received from our district says that there has been almost nothing done to stabilize the system so that it doesn't crash this year when everyone signs on again. 

To an non-politician, it almost appears that the state wants it's kids to fail given the above and further cuts in funding.

It's interesting that you don't equate tying hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to standardized testing (with common core being the preferred medium) as federal control.

The federal government takes tens of billions of dollars out of our state in the form of taxes and then offers it back if we do stuff.

[star seed 7]

Common Core math is fantastic. it teaches theory and "why" instead of memorization which helps with more complex math being absorbed much easier later in school. It just looks silly to old people because they were taught on memorization and the problems are introductory

[star seed 7]

Basically, michigancat is correct

[Mr Bread]

I'd need to see a comparison of standardized test scores to decide whether it's a good thing or not. Some of my coworkers bitch about it a lot and the math homework does look like it would be frustrating if you like to help your kid with his/her homework and don't know how to do the various methods it asks you to use to solve the problems. Then again, it's really the kid's fault for not paying better attention in class.

ya, it is very aggravating as a BSME and not being able to help your 3rd grader on her homework without using google

Probably should have gotten that masters. 

[Mr Bread]

Basically, michigancat is correct

People with bsmes can't even do it for crying out loud.  This has got to stop. 

[Mr Bread]

I've got a rough ridin' JD and if I can't help my child with his math homework I will crap a rough ridin' brick I swear to god almighty. 

[michigancat]

I'd need to see a comparison of standardized test scores to decide whether it's a good thing or not. Some of my coworkers bitch about it a lot and the math homework does look like it would be frustrating if you like to help your kid with his/her homework and don't know how to do the various methods it asks you to use to solve the problems. Then again, it's really the kid's fault for not paying better attention in class.

ya, it is very aggravating as a BSME and not being able to help your 3rd grader on her homework without using google

you might need to google the terms but my god it is simple crap. And very, very useful as lib said.

[Mr Bread]

I mean I am a learned juris doctor and I can't do kid math?  wtf

[Mr Bread]

I'd need to see a comparison of standardized test scores to decide whether it's a good thing or not. Some of my coworkers bitch about it a lot and the math homework does look like it would be frustrating if you like to help your kid with his/her homework and don't know how to do the various methods it asks you to use to solve the problems. Then again, it's really the kid's fault for not paying better attention in class.

ya, it is very aggravating as a BSME and not being able to help your 3rd grader on her homework without using google

you might need to google the terms but my god it is simple crap. And very, very useful as lib said.

No.  He can either do it from what he already knows or it's crap. 

[Rage Against the McKee]

My point is that the main force against Common Core is a band of retards that portray it as if the Fed has developed a curriculum and KS has to eat it, yet the man who you and I pay to review such things, report on such things, then vote on such things isn't even starting the process he is paid for.  He is simply advancing the BS talking point that isn't even true.

In the mean time, last year's standardized tests were completely discounted.  KS petitioned the fed govt to make sure the scores were not published for public consumption.  KS is spending a bunch of time to make sure Common Core doesn't go through, but can't get their standardized test developed in enough time that the practice portions of it could even be used last year.  The actual implementation of the test took three times as long for my districts elementary kids to take because KS can't provide an adequate platform/server/whatevs to handle the traffic of thousands of kids signing on at one time and the thing kept crashing mid test.  Mid test crashes mean the kids start over at question #1.  Three times as long means that the kids lost 2-3 weeks of other non-test instruction last spring semester.  This year, testing starts in my district in less than two months and the test still isn't ready, the practice portion isn't ready, and all info I have received from our district says that there has been almost nothing done to stabilize the system so that it doesn't crash this year when everyone signs on again. 

To an non-politician, it almost appears that the state wants it's kids to fail given the above and further cuts in funding.

It's interesting that you don't equate tying hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to standardized testing (with common core being the preferred medium) as federal control.

The federal government takes tens of billions of dollars out of our state in the form of taxes and then offers it back if we do stuff.

I'm under the impression that states were given the option to stop using No Child Left Behind if they adopted common core instead. States actually do get to set their own common core curriculum, though, so if they don't like it, they could just change it.

[CNS]

My point is that the main force against Common Core is a band of retards that portray it as if the Fed has developed a curriculum and KS has to eat it, yet the man who you and I pay to review such things, report on such things, then vote on such things isn't even starting the process he is paid for.  He is simply advancing the BS talking point that isn't even true.

In the mean time, last year's standardized tests were completely discounted.  KS petitioned the fed govt to make sure the scores were not published for public consumption.  KS is spending a bunch of time to make sure Common Core doesn't go through, but can't get their standardized test developed in enough time that the practice portions of it could even be used last year.  The actual implementation of the test took three times as long for my districts elementary kids to take because KS can't provide an adequate platform/server/whatevs to handle the traffic of thousands of kids signing on at one time and the thing kept crashing mid test.  Mid test crashes mean the kids start over at question #1.  Three times as long means that the kids lost 2-3 weeks of other non-test instruction last spring semester.  This year, testing starts in my district in less than two months and the test still isn't ready, the practice portion isn't ready, and all info I have received from our district says that there has been almost nothing done to stabilize the system so that it doesn't crash this year when everyone signs on again. 

To an non-politician, it almost appears that the state wants it's kids to fail given the above and further cuts in funding.

It's interesting that you don't equate tying hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding to standardized testing (with common core being the preferred medium) as federal control.

The federal government takes tens of billions of dollars out of our state in the form of taxes and then offers it back if we do stuff.

I'm under the impression that states were given the option to stop using No Child Left Behind if they adopted common core instead. States actually do get to set their own common core curriculum, though, so if they don't like it, they could just change it.

Slavery of the mind, tho.

[wetwillie]

If you haven't made a math mountain yet, you haven't lived. 

[Skipper44]

I'd need to see a comparison of standardized test scores to decide whether it's a good thing or not. Some of my coworkers bitch about it a lot and the math homework does look like it would be frustrating if you like to help your kid with his/her homework and don't know how to do the various methods it asks you to use to solve the problems. Then again, it's really the kid's fault for not paying better attention in class.

ya, it is very aggravating as a BSME and not being able to help your 3rd grader on her homework without using google

you might need to google the terms but my god it is simple crap. And very, very useful as lib said.

No.  He can either do it from what he already knows or it's crap.

I got an A in differential equations you rough ridin' eff!  Of course this new math is crap

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

Common Core math is fantastic. it teaches theory and "why" instead of memorization which helps with more complex math being absorbed much easier later in school. It just looks silly to old people because they were taught on memorization and the problems are introductory

I for one am shocked to see lib come down on this side of blind support.

Nothing reinforces math more than "circle the 1's blue".

[michigancat]

Common Core math is fantastic. it teaches theory and "why" instead of memorization which helps with more complex math being absorbed much easier later in school. It just looks silly to old people because they were taught on memorization and the problems are introductory

I for one am shocked to see lib come down on this side of blind support.

Nothing reinforces math more than "circle the 1's blue".

I do think the textbooks/worksheets were rushed and poorly edited. I've found typos or incorrect directions which is what the problem you're mentioning was. Luckily I am able to think critically and recognize the difference between a typo and a curriculum

[star seed 7]

Yes, half that complaint link was errors and the rest were rough ridin' simple concepts (because they are taught to grade schoolers)

If you don't want a populace that is more proficient in math, then by all means oppose common core because it's different from what you learned

[Cire]

Common core is a million times better than what districts were using before