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One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics
is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. -- Plato
(429-347 BC)
Friday, December 19, 2014
10 Year Old in N.J. Speaks Against Common Core: It Stinks!
ARRA News Service - Elizabeth Blaine, a 10-year-old from New Jersey, doesn’t like Common Core. She shared her support for a policy that lets parents opt out their children from taking the Common Core test, also known as PARCC (Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers).
Why?
“Because it stinks,” the fourth-grader told school board members Monday night in Montclair, N.J., during a meeting on the national standards."I love to read. I love to write. I love to do math. But I don’t love the PARCC. Why? Because it stinks," Elizabeth said.
"This is crazy!" she continued. "I am one of the most gifted students in my grade (or so my mom says) and I have not even the slightest clue as to what this means."
"I am glad my mom and dad are letting me opt out, because I don’t want to deal with this nonsense."Silencing everyone in the room, Blaine was critical of the assessment group known as PARCC, arguing that she should have the option to opt out of this “nonsense.” The story made headlines, even in The Washington Post.
Watch the video to see Elizabeth make her case and read her mom’s blog for the full story.
Full text of Elizabeth's speech:I love to read. I love to write. I love to do math. But I don’t love the PARCC. Why? Because it stinks.
For example, I took a EOY (end of the year) practice test for math in preparation for the PARCC. On the practice test there was adding, multiplying, and subtracting fractions, long division, and geometry. All of these things we have not learned (or even started learning yet). And we are supposed to know these concepts mentally by the end of the year!
I also don’t like the PARCC because it is all on computers.
On the test we will have to type full essays in a time limit, when most of us have not typed ever before! We might have taken a technology class, but we are not required to. Why couldn’t they make the test on paper? Also, my tech teacher told us that if, during the test, we click out we’re out.
Another thing that I don’t like is that we have lost six periods due to PARCC preparation. The preparation is for the technology on the test. The technology includes things like using a drag and drop ruler, a drag and drop protractor, drop-down windows, and scroll bars that only move certain mini windows only. And, there is this part (on some questions) where you make your own equation to show your work. That’s good, right? Yeah, but to make the equation it’s very complicated and hard.
So the math practice test stinks, what’s next? Why, the ELA test of course. On the ELA test there are some very confusing and extremely hard questions. For example, one of the essay questions was:
“Identify a theme in ‘Just Like Home’ and a theme in ‘Life Doesn’t Frighten Me.’ Write an essay that explains how the theme of the story is shown through the characters and how the theme of the poem is shown through the speaker. Include specific details from the story and the poem to support your essay.”
This is crazy! I am one of the most gifted students in my grade (or so my mom says) and I have not even the slightest clue as to what this means.
Also, on the ELA test there is a video, a Maya Angelou poem, and two stories. Along with that, there are questions to go with the poem and two stories. I had no idea what any of the questions to do with the poem meant and I didn’t understand the poem itself either. The questions for the first story were simple enough, but were terribly worded. The second story’s questions were about the same.
Now you know about the questions and technology on the PARCC. I am glad my mom and dad are letting me opt out, because I don’t want to deal with this nonsense, as I stated before. I agree with the policy being voted on tonight and hope that it passes through.
Thank you.Tags:Common Core, stinks, Opt Out, Elizabeth Blaine, a 10-year-old, speach, School board, Montclair, New Jersey, videoTo share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
I absolutely love this young lady & her comments, she is right on target. I so appreciate this article. There is so much wrong that parents don't know about this common core. I was at the Arkansas state capitol this Dec. 17th for a joint session listening to a wonderful woman from Washington DC explain why the Data mining within common core was also not good and that a bill should be passed to help protect families privacy, now & in the future from this data collecting. Parents lost rights when FERPA laws were changed. The AACC group that is fighting common core here in Arkansas actually has a bill they have been working on to help with this issue, but getting legislatures to help has been quite a task because the ED department is right there next to the state capitol and they are like friends helping friends. Getting busy parents to be aware of these issues has been very difficult, but maybe with people seeing this article, it will get them to ask needed questions.
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Tags: Common Core, stinks, Opt Out, Elizabeth Blaine, a 10-year-old, speach, School board, Montclair, New Jersey, video To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. and "Like" Facebook Page - Thanks!
2 Comments:
I absolutely love this young lady & her comments, she is right on target. I so appreciate this article. There is so much wrong that parents don't know about this common core. I was at the Arkansas state capitol this Dec. 17th for a joint session listening to a wonderful woman from Washington DC explain why the Data mining within common core was also not good and that a bill should be passed to help protect families privacy, now & in the future from this data collecting. Parents lost rights when FERPA laws were changed.
The AACC group that is fighting common core here in Arkansas actually has a bill they have been working on to help with this issue, but getting legislatures to help has been quite a task because the ED department is right there next to the state capitol and they are like friends helping friends. Getting busy parents to be aware of these issues has been very difficult, but maybe with people seeing this article, it will get them to ask needed questions.
Carol, Thanks for your comment. And best wishes on the fight against Common Core in Arkansas.
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