Just as Count My Vote really means Dilute My Voice and protect incumbents, Common Core has been renamed and rebranded in various states. For example, in Utah, state officials quit calling it Common Core and renamed it the Utah Core so folks at the state office can tell people we aren’t on Common Core, we have the Utah core. Well people are catching on and they’re going to need some new names pretty soon. So lets help them out. Please come up with your best and most accurate name for Common Core and share it in the comments.
Obamacore
Can we just be honest and call it the “We are the government and don’t care what, how, why you want your children taught. So shut up and leave us alone” CORE
Rotting Core
Your Utah Korihor Kriklim (YUKK) or Kommie Kor Kriklim (KKK) — either way, it werks 4 me!
United Nations core or Dumb down America core
Comcore! (Communist plank #10)
Or….Comcore10
Rottentothecore.
Core Out!
Commie Core
I’ve been calling it Communist Core. It’s so close at times I say it even when I’m not intending to.
The Apple’s Worm
Rotten Core, Rotten to the Core, Wolf of Hallways, Trojan Owl… I could go on.
Crushing Core
Rotten to the Core
CSC – Common Sense Core
I believe Utahans and our high standards HERE are already far above that of the rest of the Nation. Think about it a minute – we spend LESS on each student than MOST states. Teachers are HORRIBLY underpaid here, and I personally spent up to $1,000 out of my own salary each year because I cared about my students getting the best possible lessons. Then I found out the Federal Government won’t give me CREDIT for all that spent – except up to $250. In the 6 years I taught, even in the years when it was announced (like we just heard from our Governor) how much MORE money was being put into education, I feel like the district grabbed up the funding for THEIR projects. It never really REACHES the teachers, helps much on salary schedules PROPORTIONATELY as it should, and I NEVER saw an increase – not EVER – in those 6 years in the $500 I got as a full time teacher to spend on my class materials and preparing good lessons. So I spent my $500 (it doesn’t last long…) and another $1000, so the REAL cost is $1500 a year, and we only get 1/3 of that, and only 1/5 of that in tax breaks. It’s pretty embarrassing. And yet – has Utah ever been the lowest in GPA in the nation? We should be. But we aren’t. Why is that? Because humble, sweet teachers, intelligent, quick=thinking, frugal teachers, keep on doing their best while being scrutinized with hours of teacher accountability in one form or another. The newest comment to me by a teacher at my school was: “We are going to lose all our good teachers. They just can’t keep on losing ground like this.” District control is OUT of control, staring with the MONEY decisions and where all that is supposed to go. We don’t need district breakfasts once a month, or donuts in our classes. We are perfectly able to BRING food from home to sit through evenings of 18 hours without mounds of candy bars or bowls of chocolate candy in front of us. We don’t need WOOING or AHHING with all the high tech stuff – which I was just told the district gets NO BREAK ON PRICE FOR – but they buy MAC anyway. All I can think is how many more incentive rewards I could have bought for those expensive iPads and minis….Laptops per teacher. I really think it is time for a DISTRICT AUDIT and some scrutinizing on their part. It has become popular to be the cool guy at the district, who brings in “current thought” from outside, and programs – that many of the teachers, parents, and administrators who CARE about children really don’t want here in our schools. If the parents don’t ALL wake up – there won’t be enough protest to fix anything. Utahans against Common Core PARENTS are sharper than the district people who are trying to hide things from them. I am proud to be a member of this group as a GRANDPARENT and now part time teacher. I am not as worried about my JOB as I am the welfare and good teaching principles in every subject that MAKE SENSE for our Utah children.
Does it really matter, the new name has probably been already picked.
Utah Core Control Center – UCCC, Utah Futuristic Operation – UFO, Utah Affordable Core Headquarters – UACH.
Susan, I so much appreciated your comments. As a teacher, you give a great perspective to the general public. I work as a substitute teacher at the jr and high school level. As such, I see various classroom situations throughout the district. One of the newer jr. high schools, when they first opened their doors, gave every student a personal notebook. The students were responsible for them which equated to the parents being responsible, because what jr. high student has the money to replace a notebook computer? That first year I encountered students who had left their notebook home, needed to charge the it during class, their notebook wasn’t working so they had to go to the office to have them re-booted, had lost their privilege to be on the computer so they couldn’t do the classroom assignment, were surfing on the web or on another site rather than where they were assigned to be, etc. You can see what a Pandora’s box has been opened! For whatever reason(s) that I haven’t been told, but can well surmise on my own, the students no longer have/carry their own person notebook around school. Now they remain in each classroom for the students’ use. There are cords often strewn across the floor while students are “charging” their computer as well as most of the other problems I already listed. The cost to put these notepbooks in the school was over $1 million and the school was over budget when they opened, partly because of that as I understand it. Officials’ justifications for such expenditures on technology is so that our students will have the ‘advantage or competitive edge’ with technology. How many of the students today have any issues with being able to navigate around a computer or other digital device? I can tell you – probably without needing to tell you! – that kids are overly adept at using technology. I tell plenty of them on a regular basis to put away their iphone, ipods, etc. and pay attention to the lesson. It’s frustrating to have them so distracted! I really think some decision-makers on the district level must want the kudos, accolades, or whatever it may be by being the one to implement more technology in the classroom. I’m all for the competitive edge and providing our students with quality in education. But throwing money at a school isn’t a guarantee to make smarter kids! Teachers who care and who really teach strong foundations in math, English, science, as well as the other subjects are worth far more to a student’s learning experience than any key stroke can ever give them. We’re failing this generation. Students don’t know the basics of our own language. They have difficulty in writing and spelling – necessary communication. Look how the digital world is having an impact on that. I am sorry to say that out state leaders from the governor on down to the local school districts have hijacked the education of this generation with the implementation of Common Core and other ‘progressive’ methods of educating our children. Too much money remains with district personnel and school administrators instead of with the teachers and classrooms where the majority of the work takes place. As a substitute teacher, I get paid barely above min. wage. I could probably earn more flipping burgers at Mickey D’s but I really enjoy being with the students. My goal each day I’m in a classroomis is to say/teach something that will have an impact on the life of at least one student. These students will be the business and civic leaders in a mere 10-20 years. We have got to do all we can to better prepare them for what lies ahead. Common Core isn’t the answer!
“Utah’s Core-Upped Standards” would be a great name for Utah’s “new” standards. With a name like that, we can pretend that we’ve raised the bar with our “new” standards above those of the dusty, old Common Core. What? It sounds like it contains the word “corrupt” when you say it out loud? Well, I’m sure that’s purely coincidental. Nothing to see here. Move along.
Rename Utah Core or Common Core to Common Crud.
Common Utah Education Standards (CUES) Now doesn’t that sound like a good platform to stand on! Reminds me of the “Pro-choice” slogan.
Utah’s Basic Objective New Education. They could set up their main headquarters near the capital and place the acronym right above the front doors- Utah’s BONE-HEADquarters.
GUSTO! GOVERNOR of UTAH SOLD us TO OBAMA
I know, this is my second entry, sorry. I’m just so fed up with those who have sold Utah “down the river” for Federal Funds. Like we do at home, if we can’t afford it, we don’t buy it. Herbert needs to stand up to the Feds and get them, their Obamacare, their Common Core, their drones, and their Spy Center out of Utah! Easier said than done, but let’s at least see a fight!
I agree with you. So sad to have a Governor who doesn’t stand for Utah.
Common Corruption
This one uses the same initials: CC … CarbonCopy
or how about
UnexceptionalCore
Generic Core or GeneriCore
CollectiveCore
ProletarianCore
MiddlingCore
MediocreCore
Commie Coersion
Education for a “Brave New World.”