Sing a Song of Sixpence - why your child needs math

Why your child needs math

With more and more technology jobs, children really need a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education! Abstract thinking, so necessary to progress, comes from science and math education. Will your child be ready for the technology jobs of the future? Early math the right way is so important. It starts at home!

How often have we heard students say something like, “Why do I have to learn math? I’m never going to use it in when I’m grown up!” The answer to that is, “So that you can think well and solve problems better in all areas of your life!”

As I learned in college, psychologist Jean Piaget’s cognitive theory of development shows that a concrete thinker only sees the obvious, but an abstract thinker can see ‘what if?’ The ability to think abstractly is key to having an open mind and seeing many possible ways to solve a problem. For example, the answer given in the cartoon below is the concrete answer.

The abstract answer is the ability to solve the value of x, if the other sides were the given values. (A concrete thinker might say that side is not really 4-cm long, get the ruler. The abstract thinker can say, “but what if?” and solve the problem.)

The maths and sciences help people develop from concrete thinkers into abstract thinkers as they reach adulthood. The lessons learned while solving math problems make the brain more flexible in solving other problems in general. This gives children more self-confidence to meet challenges. If we want our children to be well-rounded in all areas, they need math and science.

Giving your child a head start in math – the right way – helps him to see patterns and connections in new ways. It helps her to see more possibilities and make wiser decisions as she grows. 

By the way, I use algebra on my grocery shopping list, to keep my costs + tax exactly to the penny, for the amount I want to spend. I love math!

(And stay away from Reform and/or Common Core math.)

http://thegodfreymethod.com

Sing a Song of Sixpence - early math the right way

Start math early, too, not just reading - early math the right way 
(and stay away from Common Core)!

Wise parents who want to raise successful children will start at home before kindergarten to give their children a good foundation in mathematical concepts, patterning, and the WHY behind adding and subtracting. As their children age, proactive purposeful parents will also continue to teach the foundations to multiplying, dividing, fractions, and "super-ones," which are key to algebraic understanding.

Start your child’s gifted math journey early in the preschool years. Do more than just counting and the number names. Play adding and subtracting games with real objects such as toys. Play with puzzles. Create repeating patterns with construction paper cut into different shapes. More ideas further on.

Have you ever thought about the history of math? It took centuries for math to develop to the point of Sir Isaac Newton’s calculus. And many proofs and discoveries have been made since then. Each new math axiom or law was built upon the principles of the previous ones. Two truths are evident here.

First, no one can possibly self-discover all the mathematical truths in one lifetime. Math must be taught by someone who already knows it, who has learned what previous mathematicians discovered, and can pass that knowledge on. Total student-led discovery would never lead to higher-level math skills. There isn’t enough time. (More about teacher-oriented education vs. student-oriented education has been discussed in previous chapters.)

Second, math must be learned starting with the simplest concepts then building upon them. The value of each number must be known, as well as its relationship to other numbers. Children need to know why eight minus five equals three, see it and relate it to real objects. Later, they memorize the number equations, but first they must see the reason. Any child could be given a calculator and learn to punch in 8-5=3 to get an answer, but she’d never become a real mathematician, lacking the understanding of what that number relationship means. For that matter, she could also punch in the logarithm (log) key for a number, but what would the answer mean? What is an inverse exponent? Where is it used?

It is the same with reading. The words that we speak are strings of sounds. Children must learn to understand the individual sounds (phonics). Then they must learn the relationships between different sounds, such as diphthongs and double-vowels. Sound-strings become syllables, and syllable-strings become words. Then it all makes sense and to how the written word relates to the spoken word – by sounds. Later children memorize the whole words, but first they must see the reason. Teaching a child to sight-read without phonics knowledge is like teaching a child to use a calculator without number knowledge. It’s basically worthless when a real problem arises.

Interestingly, children who learn sight-word reading often struggle with numbers, too, even mixing up letters for numbers and vice versa. Phonics readers do not. For some reason, learning the individual sounds of letters also makes it easier to learn numbers and keep the two categories separate. But to a sight-reader, 600+5 might look like boots, which can be very confusing. Empower your child to do well in both math and reading by teaching him phonics and numbers the right way.

There are philosophies where math stories are taught as templates and the students just fill in the numbers. But when they come to a real-life problem that doesn’t seem to fit the templates, they are lost. These students receive high math scores and do well as long as the math fits the templates.

However, those students who are taught to think about the math relationships and patterns, not just set templates, can ‘think outside the box.’ When they come upon an unfamiliar problem, they are more likely to solve it using thinking skills learned by proper math instruction. This is the goal – to think.

It is important with both math and reading to understand the WHY and to see the patterns. Being able to see patterns is the key to higher-level thinking skills. Parents can help their children’s minds learn to notice patterns with hands-on activities such as crocheting, knitting, cooking, 3-D models, mechanics, carpentry, puzzles, music and music theory, and a myriad of arts, which actually all help math understanding. Start early.

Giving children the foundation of the WHY behind numbers and letters in a direct manner is the best way to guarantee that they will grasp the concepts easily and progress rapidly, not only to competency but to excellence and intelligence. What better gift could a parent give a child?

Some fun history about the number symbols we use:

How numerals 0 - 9 got their shape! 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

“Do you know why numbers look like they do? Someone, at some point in time, had to create their shapes and meaning. Watch this short presentation and then you will know how our Arabic numbers were originally created a very long time ago and what logic the people that created them used to determine their shapes. It is really very simple and quite creative!

“You have to admire the intelligence of a person or people that created something so simple and perfect that it has lasted for thousands and thousands of years and will probably never change.

“When the presentation gets to the number "seven" you will notice that the 7 has a line through the middle of it. That was the way the Arabic 7 was originally written, and in Europe and certain other areas they still write the 7 that way. Also, in the military, they commonly write it that way. The nine has a kind of curly tail on it that has been reduced, for the most part nowadays, to a simple curve, but the logic involved still applies.

“The Arabs popularized these algorithms, but their origin goes back to the Phoenicians that used them to count and do their commercial business. Look at these algorithms (number symbols) below, written in their primitive form. These are angles!”

(I have no idea whom to credit with this presentation. It came in an email with no references to the originator, but the last slide said, “Share it with your friends…”).

 

This was much quicker and simpler than Roman numerals, so it became the way most of the world wrote numbers. And it used the base-ten system (ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.), which was also easier.

Boost your child's math intelligence with family activities. We’ve been talking about the importance of math activities in the family to boost children’s math abilities. Another great resource for parents to use with their children is the book, Family Math, by Jean Kerr Stenmark (1986).
http://www.amazon.com/Family-Math-Equals-Jean-Stenmark/dp/0912511060/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249162842&sr=1-1.

This book has many fun ideas and activities that parents and children can do together at home. You don’t have to be a home-schooler, or a stay-at-home mom, to increase your child’s mathematical intelligence. Even working moms can find time to do these math games and activities at home, creating precious, quality family time.

A child’s math knowledge should be developed before school age and augmented during school years. It’s just as important for children to feel confident and successful in math as reading. This helps them stay at the head of the class and not fall behind a little more each year. There are many different types of intelligence and a child may be gifted more in one area than another. Regardless, all areas of learning can be enhanced and improved when parents try things at home.

Another book by Jean Kerr Stenmark, Family Math for Young Children (1997), is targeted for younger children. http://www.amazon.com/Family-Math-Young-Children-Comparing/dp/0912511273/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249162842&sr=1-2. Give these resources a try, and remember to have no power struggles while guiding your children.

In the Kansas City area, there are math competitions and fun groups called Math Olympiads and Math Kangaroo, sponsored by Noetic Learning and the University of Kansas. You can find similar programs in your area. The math challenges are a great way to sharpen your child’s skills. The Johnson County Community College also supports Math Kangaroo. Colleges in your area probably do, too.

Noetic Learning helps keep kids’ minds sharp over summer with their Leap Ahead program. Go to http://www.noetic-learning.com/gifted. Some programs require a fee. For more information contact noetic.learning@gmail.com by email.

How to help your child excel at math. Did you know that the earlier a child learns basic concepts, the greater her capacity for learning later? Children learn best from their own parents, not from pre-schools nor kindergartens. The best way to develop your child’s gifts is to start early at home. Of course, the learning must be joyful, without power struggles. In many areas, public school math curricula have the same flaws as their reading curricula, based on theories that don’t work.

Teaching math early in the right way is as important as reading early the right way.  So, I asked math advocate Laurie Rogers what are some of the best math resources that parents can use at home, before and during school years. They would like to pass on some of the best practices to you.

These materials can be used as supplements to public and private school, or for home school:

“Bits of Intelligence®” flash cards, by Dr. Glenn Doman, http://www.gentlerevolution.com/ for math products.

“A-Beka” math curriculum from Pensacola, FL. Of course parents must purchase the curriculum materials for each grade level. http://www.abeka.com.

 “Saxon Math,” by John Saxon, available on www.Amazon.com  secondhand marketplace and eBay. It's important to get the texts, tests and solution manuals of the same publish date, otherwise the problems and solutions don't match. Additionally, the earlier texts are better - more traditional in nature. Later texts sometimes have a bit of "investigating" in them. Just skip that.

“Singapore Math,” from www.singaporemath.com. Get the full set - the workbook, textbook, homeschooling parent's guide, and the solutions manual. The solutions manual covers several years at once. A full year - the A and B - is relatively inexpensive to buy new from www.Singaporemath.com.

Why is it necessary to supplement and/or teach math at home? Many public schools use “reform” texts such as Connected Mathematics - a truly awful program. They also use the useless "spiral" approach instead of referring back to previously learned concepts.

Also beware of other “reform” texts like "Investigations in Number, Data and Space." Some children are unfortunately saddled with Core-Plus and the loopy way Core-Plus approaches graphs. The Common Core and reform programs have proven not to work and they are putting our children further and further behind in this world of technological jobs.

Don't hurry. Keep it light and funny whenever possible.

Math advocate Laurie Rogers writes, “In one six-month period, our [6th-grade] daughter went through two Saxon texts, and Singapore Math 5A (twice), 5B, 6A and 6B -- plus many practice problems I gave her. It sounds like a lot, but we didn't push her. We trusted her to do what she could, and we didn't ask her to work in groups [nor] to teach it to herself. Our method was very efficient. In return, she took it seriously and did not lollygag. Her teachers were amazed at what she did.  They just about fell over when we showed them the binders of work. I think it might have been a wake-up call for a few of them.”

Laurie H. Rogers, lrogers@saferchild.org, founder of Safer Child, Inc., http://www.saferchild.org and "Betrayed" - a blog on education, http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/.

http://thegodfreymethod.com

Sing a Song of Sixpence - Just say NO to Reform Math and Common Core

Is your child’s math homework making you worried? It should.

Missouri parent tells of "insanity" in reform classroom:

Note from Laurie Rogers: “Reform math, excessive constructivism, and persistent administrative arrogance and interference are not exclusive to Washington State. Together, they have sunk this great country into a mathematical Dark Ages, severely limiting the futures of millions of children and devastating our supply of STEM professionals. (STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics.)

“Every week, I [Laurie] receive emails from perplexed, frustrated and angry parents, teachers and community advocates in states across America. Here is one sample, provided by a Missouri parent Dec. 8, 2010:

"Laurie,

"I think you will find it interesting that in my son's elementary school, the teachers are only allowed to teach reform curriculum Investigations in Number, Data, and Space....without any supplementation.

"When I found out that my son was sitting for 50 minutes per day during intervention time, allowed to draw, read any outside reading book, play games, or play on the computer -- I called the teacher and asked if I could send his math workbook from home that he worked in every night at home. I explained that it would be a much better use of his time during the day. I was told that I could.

"I sent the book, and quickly other parents were sending their children with the same books that were simply standard math practice with traditional algorithms. I was called to the principal's office. I was told that the book was not allowed. I was dumbfounded. My daughter, who was in that building the year before, had practiced in the same book the 2 years prior. She had the second highest score out of 400 of her peers on the math portion of the state standardized test.

"So, I clarified: 'You mean to tell me that my son can bring in a Stephen King novel, draw pictures, or play games, but you will not allow for him to better himself with math practice during math intervention?' I was told, 'That is true.' My husband and I walked out the door, and we decided to pull him out of that building that day.

"The crazy thing is that the 'games' were questions for no grade like, 'Write a chant or a song about a division problem.' Another was, 'If you met an alien who could not speak your language, draw portraits of what a multiplication problem will look like to them without using words.'

"INSANITY. Keep up the good work."

Stacy Shore, Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri

Later, Stacy Shore added a side note:

"The other very alarming element of what we have been through here as of late is what happened when one mom went in to ask for copies of the 'extension activities' (that involve the writing chants, and drawing portraits for aliens, to name just a few of the ridiculous 'activities' our kids are being forced to do). When asked if we can have copies of all activities being offered to our children, we were told that we can come in and look at them, but we cannot have copies to take outside of the school. Our kids do not bring home copies of this homework, and without a couple of us parents going in and reviewing the 'activity box,' no one would realize what our kids are being forced to do.

"Insanity. And, our children are absolutely NOT allowed to practice standard algorithms in their free time. When we realized what was going on in 'secret,' if you will, we pulled our kids and ran."

http://betrayed-whyeducationisfailing.blogspot.com/2010/12/missouri-parent-tells-of-insanity-in.html.

Stories like this are occurring in many states across the U.S. I’m sure that most teachers are doing their best. The problem comes from higher up. We need to change what we’re teaching the teachers to teach. More from Laurie Rogers’ previous article, why administrators don’t listen:

“It takes a strong stomach to know the truth of how bad it is, and still speak politely with administrators who keep saying the most ridiculous things. It’s tough to keep pushing, to keep trying, and to somehow avoid sinking into despair. When we talk with district decision-makers, we often find their eyes are glassy. They’ve breathed in the smoke and mirrors, and can’t seem to hear anything but the twaddle from curriculum coordinators.

“Education’s decision-makers appear to be “firmly persuaded” – many will do whatever curriculum coordinators tell them to do. So we troop over to the curriculum coordinators, and we find they’re certain, too. They don’t care what we bring to the table, even if it’s the best information, the most pertinent research and the most brilliant arguments. It’s their table – not ours – and they’ll decide (thank you very much), what happens with it. Our evidence is swept off the table onto the floor. They walk over it on their way out. Later, it’s disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.

“Sitting through certain interviews and meetings, listening to the idiocy that passes for argument (for example, “How do we know a 45% pass rate isn’t good? It all depends on where that group began”), I develop headaches, jaw aches and an upset stomach. I’ve had dark moments where I felt that nothing would ever improve, administrators would never listen…

“The obliviousness of the education establishment is impressive. The deceit and the covering up of the children’s reality are immoral, if not technically criminal. I’ve sat at my computer and blanched at the cheerful destruction of so many children’s futures.

“Math advocate Mike Miller said: “A culture that embraces purposeful perversion will be more resistant to both exposure and change.” 

“Maybe the public-education establishment is already there.”

Ideas on what you can do at home to halt the educational decline for your child in future articles. Keep posted!

http://thegodfreymethod.com

Sing a Song of Sixpence: how parents can beat the odds of math learning with their children

Boost your child's math intelligence! How you beat the odds with your child:

               I was doing a radio interview in November 2009 when the radio host, Michael Ray Dresser (Dresser After Dark), made a parallel between phonics instruction and proper math instruction. Phonics teaches the WHY behind the reading and good math teaches the WHY behind the math. Much of the ‘reform’ math is like horrid sight-reading, where a child learns the sentence 3+4=7 by sight (or with a calculator) without learning the basic concepts underneath, that each number represents a specific amount and how those amounts regroup.

               It has come to my attention that the public educational system holds children back not only in reading, but in math as well. I strongly recommend that parents do math instruction at home long before, and during, school age. Parent involvement is absolutely necessary for our children to join the technology workforce of the future, regardless of using public, private, or home school.

               Obviously, ‘Reform’ philosophies have done for math what the Whole Language fiasco did for reading. [Note: Common Core has now ruined math exponentially more than reform math ever thought of!]

Math advocates such as Laurie Rogers of the Safer Child organization http://www.saferchild.org/ have been trying to put the WHY back into public school math, but the curriculum coordinators, college boards, textbook publishers, and government aren’t listening. Parents are the key to turning around the education fiasco for our children. Laurie Rogers is absolutely brilliant about the problems in public math instruction. To quote from her article, Rogers, Laurie. (July, 2009). "Why administrators don't listen." July 5, 2009, on Education News at http://ednews.org/articles/why-administrators-dont-listen-.html:

               “A common complaint among math advocates is that the education establishment continually rejects pertinent data and valid research on how ‘reform’ mathematics curricula are deeply, fatally flawed.”

               “It’s like watching a completely preventable traffic accident,” I’ve said. “How do they not see it? Why won't they listen to reason?”

               “Many a public schools persists with its ‘reform’ math curricula despite all contrary evidence from the district, state and nation – and despite distressing results (a scary, black hole of dropouts, remediation and failed tests).”

               “If the data and research don’t support these curricula, and the entire nation has found that a steady diet of ‘reform’ leads to math incompetence… what is the real reason for their continued use? …Infiltrate public education, teach the children to think conceptually about nothing, and then pretend to fret as the country falls to its knees. It’s the perfect crime: Infiltrate public education, teach the children to think conceptually about nothing, and then pretend to fret as the country falls to its knees."

               Everyone loves the word ‘change,’ but change is not always for the better. To quote the experts:

               “Another lesson of [Project Follow Through] is that educational innovations do not always work better than what they replace. Many might say that we do not need an experiment to prove that, but it needs to be mentioned because education has just come through a period in which the not-always-stated assumption was that any change was for the better. The result was a climate in which those responsible for the changes did not worry too much about the consequences. The PFT evaluation and other recent evaluations should temper our expectations.” (p. 179-181, Wisler, Burns, & Iwamoto, 1978).

               “The most expensive educational experiment in the world [PFT] showed that change alone will not improve education. Yet change for the sake of change is the major theme of the current educational reform effort. Improving education requires more thought than simply making changes.” (Bonnie Grossen, editor, University of Oregon).

               Giving children the foundation of the WHY behind numbers and letters in a direct manner is the best way to guarantee that they will grasp the concepts easily and progress rapidly, not only to competency but to excellence and intelligence. Wise parents who want to raise successful children will start at home before kindergarten to give their children a good foundation in mathematical concepts, patterning, and the WHY behind the math.

Laurie Rogers also wrote, “No advocate has the answer [to public education acceptance of reform math], although there are suspicions. Some of the possibilities I’ve heard include these:

·        Kickbacks from [textbook] publishers

·        Overly friendly relationships with publishers

·        College Board pressure

·        Ignorance

·        Stupidity

·        Herd mentality

·        Indoctrination

·        Ego

·        Habit

·        Personal comfort

·        Political philosophy

·        Ennui

What better gift could a parent give a child? Only parents can turn education around for their children, and they must start at home. Yes, even busy working parents. If I did it with a full-time job and 15 children, anyone can do it. Let me show you how. More to come!

http://thegodfreymethod.com

Dress your child's mind for success

Being a Wise Owl - Dress your child's mind for success!

Dress your child's mind for success! Direct Instruction with parent involvement is the key:

                We’ve all heard of “dress for success.” My motto is, “Dress your child’s mind for success.” How can I explain the emotions of watching my children learn and succeed? For me, many of the benefits of early reading the right way are heart-felt. My concern and love for my children are the reasons that I created The Godfrey Method and wrote A Funny Boy Was Prince River.

                Think of your closets and cupboards. Are things easier to find with or without shelves in there? Are things on the shelves easier to find in orderly stacks or jumbled on top of each other? It’s the same for children’s minds. Children need structure and schedules of some sort. Now, all you free spirits out there are disagreeing with me. But as a foster mom for many years, I can tell you what happens to children when their parents have no set schedule for regular meals, regular nap times, regular hugs, regular bedtimes, etc. The children suffer.

                Besides the neglect, they feel fear and uncertainty about their needs being met. They don’t learn self-control. (Some ADHD comes as a child’s coping mechanism in an unstable environment.) They don’t cope well with change. The rage can build up. The tantrums are worse. These are just the facts.

                It’s the same with educating their minds. Children actually learn better and grow mentally faster with some sort of structure. They can retrieve information better if it is presented in an orderly fashion. Child-led discovery is a farce and a disservice to our children. I’m not saying that they have to sit at a desk for hours. There are many ways to achieve direct instruction in a way that is enjoyable and interesting.

                But there are also times that we all have to knuckle down and accomplish things that we don’t want to do. If children are to cope in society and function well, they need to learn this (in age-appropriate ways). I’m not just saying this to home-schoolers. Home should be a learning environment regardless of public, private, or home school.

                In the article, Parents Make THE Difference, by Joan Ruddiman, she reports intriguing results that, “validate what we’ve always known – in the contest of life and learning, parents are the major influence in getting their kids to the head of the class.” And they should start early the right way.

                As mentioned in Vol. 5 of It's Not Rocket Surgery!, I struggled with the idea of Direct Instruction just because I used to be a home-schooler years ago, and again more recently. Some in the home-schooling movement believe in freer philosophies. Many of us are concerned about what is being taught and/or how it is taught. The best thing about home-schooling is the ability to work at the child’s pace and interest. As a scientist, I have to accept the data over the dogma. The proof for Direct Instruction in every area of academics is overwhelming. Keep it simple for success (KISS your child) with TGM.

                Currently my youngest son is home-schooled, while my two youngest daughters chose to attend public school. (My other 13 children are grown and gone.) However, my youngest daughter - age 12 - was assigned regular math instead of algebra this year. The school district has a ridiculous policy - no doubt the new effects of horrid Common Core - that wouldn't allow her to take pre-algebra in spite of her excellent grades in math last year. Why? Because she didn't "test well" on the state-mandated MAP tests at the end of the year.

                 So I bought an online algebra curriculum from Switched-On Schoolhouse by Alpha Omega Publications. My daughter is learning algebra at home. I will not allow her to be held back because of some ill-formed philosophy about where a child should be pigeon-holed. SOS provides the structure she needs, yet she can work at her own pace. We parents are the key.

http://thegodfreymethod.com/content/BeingaWiseOwlDressyourchildsmindforsuccess

Changing what we're forcing the teachers to teach

How state legislatures are tying teachers hands: first it was the Project Follow Through fall-out that changed our educational laws for the worse; now it's Common Core to magnify the damage even more.

                Too many of Project Follow Through’s faulty models have been legislated into mandatory curricula by state governments. Even good teachers who want to teach with better methods are stuck by law to use the worst. In the words of Bonnie Grossen, editor at the University of Oregon, who wrote:

                “Perhaps the ultimate irony of the PFT evaluation is that the critics advocated extreme caution in adopting any practice as policy in education; they judged the extensive evaluation of the PFT Project inadequate. Yet 10 short years later, the models that achieved the worst results, even negative results, are the ones that are, in fact, becoming legislated policy in many states, under new names.

                “That these curricular organizations can be so successful in influencing public policy, in spite of a national effort to reach world class standards and the results of scientific research as extensive as that in PFT, is alarming.” This was back in the 1990s, and it has been downhill since.

                Now add the Common Core disaster to our already mutilated educational system, and our children don't have a chance. It's up to parents to supplement at home, even if their children attend public or private school. Common core pigeon-holes a child's future at a young age, denying opportunities to those who don't test well. It is socialism and communism at its worst. Just say NO to Common Core!

                Mom, Dad, Grandma, Auntie, please help your children with early reading the right way - The Godfrey Method of phonics. It's also a good idea to supplement math with a good curriculum that is based on the classic, proven methods. Anything that says "reform" math - isn't. None of these changes to math and reading in our educational system have been beneficial, as proven by the continuing educational decline. The fact that legislatures have mandated the faulty methods into law is appalling. You, family, are the key for your child's success!

Just say NO to Common Core and Whole Language (sight reading)! 

http://thegodfreymethod.com/content/SeeingtheEmperorsNewClothesChangingwhatwereforcingtheteacherstoteach 

Just Say NO to Common Core Education

The Common Core program is "a bad idea because it removes local control of education, it takes away the liberty of our children, and it is unconstitutional."

Basically, our children will be tested early and pigeon-holed into education and career tracks shortly after kindergarten. It's like the Communistic practice of profiling of children and predetermining their futures. Hitler did this, too.

This is happening in every state, not just Utah. Is your school safe?

What about "late-bloomers"? Pigeon-holing a child's educational and career track from testing done in elementary school is a travesty for late-bloomers. There are several men I know who came into their own after 30 and are very successful, now. Thank goodness they got the education they needed in spite of childhood immaturity! With freedom they have succeeded.

"It's a trap!" Actually, it's Animal Farm come to life in a horrific way. Follow the facts...

"This is a very complex program I recommend you take some time to sit down and read.  I will not be able to cover everything here.

Common Core has 3 main components.  There are lots of references below for you to look at.

1.  It is a set of standards created by a think tank in Washington DC that included input from various sources mainly the National Governor's Association and another one I can't remember the name of right now. 

They were presented to the states as a way to unify the education system and mainstream the educational process for school from state to state. 

Associated with these standards was a contest called "Race to the Top". 

This contest allowed states to try and win grant money from the federal government for education.

One of the requirements of applying was that the states had to commit to the common core standards before they had even seen them in order to qualify for the grant money. 

Utah and other states applied for the grant money, signed the contract and hadn't seen anything, and turned in the application. 

They did not win any money but they were contractually bound to implement these standards. 

Several of the experts who helped create the standards refused to sign off on them because they were no good.  Their links are below. 

The core standards are now being implemented as part of the Common Core agreement even though Utah didn't get any money and the standards are subpar. 

45 other states agreed to Common Core too, but several now are pulling out of it or have grassroots efforts going on to pull out of it because of parents' outrage about the whole thing. 

It amounts to nationalizing education and turning over control of what is taught in classrooms over to the federal government. 

States have only 15% control of the standards that they may add but nothing can be taken away.

2.  The Department of Education relaxed FERPA laws which protect families and children from outside sources checking data on students without their parent's permission. 

They included language in the law that allows for groups with educational interests to have access to student data. 

Educational interests is loosely defined and the new language means just about anyone could qualify.

The data has been collected on students since 2009 and includes things like Bus Route time, class rank, truancy, developmental delay, health conditions, home arrangements, family income range, insurance coverage, religious affiliation, and parent's voting status are all on the list. 

These are things that may be applicable for a school to know about but now this information is available to anyone with the above credentials. 

This program also allows for HIPPA laws to be bi-passed if a student's file contains health information as it relates to educational accommodations. 

A Longitudinal Data Base is already sitting ready to share all of this information with other states and the federal government. 

I have attached a file that includes references for this information.

3.  The final component of this legislation is the Computer Adaptive Testing. 

American Institutes for Research has been hired by Utah to facilitate the development of tests that adapt to a student's ability.  It is very impressive science. 

The only problem is this company studies psychological components of tests, not just the academic. 

This company specializes in behavioral markers imbedded in tests to determine behaviors of students. 

There is no evidence that has been presented to date that shows this is a good thing for students or that it is even relevant to their education. 

This company has on their client list, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, all departments in the Federal Government, and Microsoft. 

Bill Gates has paid out 5$ Billion so far in his quest to implement this program.  Other corporations are on board too because they want to be able to "mine" for potential employees. 

Most corporations give their potential adult employees a type of personality test.  It is entirely appropriate for them to determine who will fit their company mold. 

However, to profile students and track them throughout their educational career is immoral and undermines the student's ability to choose for themselves the path they want in life. 

How will a student have choices if they have already been flagged in a company's system based on their test scores and school records? 

Dr. Gary Thompson has outlined concerns he has along with his colleague have written a letter to Superintendent Menlove.  http://www.utahnsagainstcommoncore.com/dr-thompsons-letter-to-superintendent-menlove/
In my opinion, this program is a bad idea because it removes local control of education, it takes away the liberty of our children, and it is unconstitutional. 
Let me know if you have any other questions."
~ Carie Valentine

How I got Involved with Common Core: The Math Wars

I learned that Utah had adopted Common Core in January of 2012 and I
didn't know anything about it, which is interesting because I consider
myself fairly plugged in politically. I was a little shocked
that the entire state was changing math curriculum especially when Davis
High, here in Kaysville, has such an amazing program and has been
graduating top notch math students for more than twenty years.

Most people in Kaysville know the names of Mike Shaw, Mary Agrapides and
Gary Taylor who developed one of the most successful math programs in
the country. They designed a program for the students at Davis
coordinating with the math teachers in the junior highs to create a
program that built a solid math foundation for students. Pretty soon
they were passing 90-95% of the students who attempted to take the AP
Calculus test and that number continued to grow until recently it has
been between 240-300 students every year.

I found out that the math teachers at Davis and Kaysville Jr. High
had protested the new Common Core Curriculum since the end of 2009, for
two years before I'd even heard of it. Troubling. Why mess with success?

So, I called the State Board of Education. I explained the tremendous success at Davis. They were aware. I explained that if they needed a top notch math program that was tried and true, we had one in Kaysville. Why go pay for something we didn't know would work for our students when we had something we knew did work?

All of my questions were deflected. It was a very frustrating
conversation. Until the state board member said, "Yes. Davis is doing
really well, but other schools are not." Then it clicked for me. This is
not about the students, it's not about success or what works, it's about
social justice.

It is true that Davis High is a unique culture. We have a higher
percentage of two parent families. Kids are not as likely to be working
one or even two jobs after school because of desperate finances. Most
kids in Kaysville speak English as a first language and so there is not
a language barrier when it comes to mathematics. All of these things
give the kids at Davis an advantage in math.

Still, the math department at Davis worked to create a math program
accessible for every student. Gary Taylor said in the SL Trib, "Math is
accessible if students are willing to work hard, and if teachers present
it in a meaningful fashion." They figured out how to do that at Davis
and were able to make more and more students successful in Calculus each
year.

Common Core math is no match for the Davis High brand of Calculus. As it
turns out, Common Core is not Internationally Benchmarked as claimed.
http://www.restoreokpubliceducation.com/node/663And, as professor
Christopher Tienken has stated Common Core standards are en example of
"data-less decison making."

http://www.aasa.org/uploadedfiles/publications/newsletters/jsp_winter2011.final.pdf

Our children are truly guinea pigs for an untested and unproven program,
when we had a program that was the envy of most of the country thanks to
the work of a lifetime of several dedicated educators right here in our
own town.

Our math program at Davis shows how successful local control can be. We
must stop Common Core.

Courage!
Tiffany
http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/04/11/kind-a11.html

http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/04/11/core-a09.html

"Get them while they're young, Eva, get them while they're young!" ~ Evita, the musical

http://thegodfreymethod.com/