There are innovative educators in thousands of classrooms all across America. I have talked to many of them. They are frustrated because the policies put in place by Race to the Top are strangling their drive and desire to be the innovative class leaders they grew to be. Even worse, the Common Core State Standards, by design, have squelched the ability to allow students to be creative and innovative themselves.
This is why I wrote Children of the Core. We--parents, students, and teachers--were promised a revolutionary new system that would narrow the achievement gaps in reading and math, create environments for deeper and critical thinking, and prepare our students for life, career, and college. What we’re finding is that none of this is true. It’s all totally opposite.
Children of the Core was written with parents in mind, and with students as the inspiration. Teachers need allies in the fight to save our public schools. Parents need allies in the fight to save our kids’ futures. And, most important, students need all of us to be willing to stand up for them and tell the corporate education reformers and government leaders that they can’t treat us this way.
This is my first release. Thank you for reading, and please leave honest ratings and feedback. It will help me make my next release even better.
I want to know more! I am a parent of a 7th and 2nd grader in public education and I am a k-8 public education school counselor. My district is starting implementation and I have both personal and professional interest. I have been sold that this is a good thing for our students, my children. My 7th graders "future" is not so far away. I want her to be ready, I want all of our students to be prepared to think in a global environment, be leaders in complex change and have the skills to handle it socially and emotionally. Is your book avail in any digital format? I am interest in what you have to say and what we can do. I feel like we are starting the jets on a massive rocket ship and once it starts to leave the ground it will be difficult to stop or change direction. Best to stop it before it takes off and we are mid launch.
ReplyDeleteCommon Core has nothing to do with obtaining a traditional, classical education. It is a 'school to work' pipeline with the aim of training, not true education. Using behavior modification techniques with euphemisms such as "pbis", it will condition children to learn specific skill sets so they can contribute to a planned, global economy. Do your own research into the origins of Common Core, and follow the history back. It is way too large to discuss in this venue. It's about globalization, about creating a class of workers for the largest multinational corporations...workers who will not question, because they have not been allowed space to learn critical inquiry. As a school counselor myself, I see students and staff at their limits, sitting in a pot of boiling water that they have not noticed. I see highly intelligent educators take abuse, insane work loads, with the unspoken directive to be a sort of 'minimum wage miracle worker'. I see signs of traumatization, overload, and fear of job loss. I think we have it in our power to come together and dispel this darkness, break the confines of the present system...because we are powerful human beings. Heart wisdom will win.
DeleteIt is available on Kindle, and will hopefully be up on Google Books soon. Clicking the title in the post will take you to the Amazon site, where you can choose the kindle version.
ReplyDeleteWhen it hits Google Books, I'll buy.
ReplyDeleteHi Brian! It's there now! Search for it on Play Books.
ReplyDelete