World Net Daily has posted an excellent article on the data collection issues under Common Core.

The spying on Americans by the National Security Agency and the Internal Revenue Service’s attacks on conservative groups are “like a walk in the park” compared to government plans to track school children, says a prominent national education researcher, analyst and Johns Hopkins-trained pediatrician.

Dr. Karen Effrem, president of the national watchdog group, Education Liberty Watch, is sounding an alarm about Common Core, the federal education standards that almost all states are adopting by accepting federal “Race to the Top” funding.

Under Common Core, Effrem said, students’ personal information increasingly is being collected, measured and assessed while the standards shift the focus away from academics and toward psychological training and testing of personal attitudes and behaviors.

Read more at: http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/nsa-ops-walk-in-park-next-to-plans-to-track-kids/

Browsing the web there are more and more teachers speaking out against Common Core. Here’s one by teacher Elizabeth Natale that is a sad commentary on the plight of teachers.

Amazing news. Blue state New York looks to be the first on its way to fully dropping Common Core, and it’s a push from teachers who saw first hand the damage done to children with Common Core’s high stakes adaptive testing. I never would have thought the NY teachers union was taking its marching orders from the extreme right wing… :) Looks like that argument will have to be replaced.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/01/26/ny-teachers-union-pulls-its-support-from-common-core-urges-removal-of-state-ed-chief/

“The Board of Directors of the New York State United Teachers, a union with more than 600,000 members, has approved a resolution that withdraws its earlier support for the Common Core State Standards ”as implemented and interpreted” by the New York Education Department. It also declares ”no confidence” in the policies of State Education Commissioner John King and calls for a three-year moratorium on high-stakes consequences from standardized testing.”

…

The resolution declares “no confidence” in King, calling for his removal, and, according to a union release, is asking for the following:

* completion of all modules, or lessons, aligned with the Common Core and time for educators to review them to ensure they are grade-level appropriate and aligned with classroom practice;

* better engagement with parents, including listening to their concerns about their children’s needs;

* additional tools, professional development and resources for teachers to address the needs of diverse learners, including students with disabilities and English language learners;

* full transparency in state testing, including the release of all test questions, so teachers can use them in improving instruction;

* postponement of Common Core Regents exams as a graduation requirement;

* the funding necessary to ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve the Common Core standards. The proposed Executive Budget would leave nearly 70 percent of the state’s school districts with less state aid in 2014-15 than they had in 2009-10; and

* a moratorium, or delay, in the high-stakes consequences for students and teachers from standardized testing to give the State Education Department – and school districts – more time to correctly implement the Common Core.

Gotta love this exchange. Alison Moore Smith, homeschooling mom and blogger, just posted an enlightening conversation she had over email with Dixie Allen who serves on the State School Board. You don’t want to miss this one. Alison hits Common Core over the head and raises a lot of valid concerns.

http://homeschool-open-source.com/dixie-allen-common-core-why-we-homeschool/

Watch this top student contrast Common Core to his former education in China.

Here’s the debate from Logan last night. Please share your thoughts below.

Alyson Williams and Wendy Hart against Common Core, and Tami Pyfer and Dave Thomas from the Utah State School Board for it.

“Oh no, your child’s data is safe” they told us. “It’s not going to be shared.”

Sorry Washington state residents. You’ve been sold out by your state office of education and now your children’s non-public information is going to the Associated Press and Seattle Times media organizations. I wonder what that contract looks like…

“Wow,” said Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Jose Banda. “I wasn’t aware of [this agreement], and I don’t think any of my staff was aware that this was being considered and approved.”

Mr. Banda, maybe you should listen to the parents opposing Common Core a bit more…

Full article here:

http://kuow.org/post/state-deal-give-media-organizations-student-data-alarms-privacy-experts

This should be very interesting.

Mount Logan Middle School in Logan is providing the facilities for a Common Core issues debate on January 6th, 2014, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. (875 N. 200 E. Logan, Utah).

Alpine school board member Wendy Hart and mother Alyson Williams will debate two state school board members: Dave Thomas and Tami Pyfer.

The event is open to the public and will be moderated by radio personality Jason Williams of KVNU’s “For the People.”

Please come and bring friends.

The public is invited to submit questions for the debaters to: jasonthe@gmail.com or kvnuftp@gmail.com.

This informative video, “Utah Bites Into Common Core” features Wendy Hart, one of the debaters, who is both an elected member of the Alpine School Board, and an active member of Utahns Against Common Core.

Coming in February, a new documentary movie exposing Common Core. Check out the trailer here. The original trailer was taken down temporarily while an updated one was posted online. The Home School Legal Defense Association is the organization behind this documentary.