The PARCC controversy is not just about a test. PARCC is the tool that forces teachers to teach the Common Core, a set of standards (written primarily by non-educators) that are developmentally inappropriate, where kids don’t have a foundation before more advanced concepts are taught, where classwork problems and tests are confusing and convoluted, and kids are tested on material before it is taught in school.
In my opinion, the end result will be children who feel stupid and demoralized, and who won’t be better educated.
Common Core was developed by commercial parties interested in selling tests, and the books, workbooks, computers, and software required to learn how to take them. Bill Gates, who has spent more than $2 billion of his own money to develop and promote Common Core, has openly stated that Common Core/PARCC “will unleash a powerful market” and “for the first time, there’ll be a large uniform base of customers.” Common Core also forced districts to provide our children’s personal information to a national database, which will share that personal info with about 50 federal agencies as well as outside marketing firms (who are salivating at the thought of marketing directly to our kids).
Education experts Sandra Stotsky and James Milgram were brought on to the Validation Committee but refused to validate the standards, because they are inherently — well — awful. Another education expert, Diane Ravitch, once an outspoken proponent of standardized testing and charter schools, now writes repeatedly about the disaster that is Common Core.
What else is wrong with Common Core/PARCC? Districts (including top-performing WW-P) have lost local control of educating our kids, whose education is now being dictated by non-educators with an agenda, replacing our current standards with a curriculum that is questionable at best. Valuable instruction time is lost to practicing and taking the test. Cut scores (artificial pass/fail numbers) will mask actual performance, making comparisons (the very reason for the tests) impossible. Reports will give no actionable information and at a considerable time delay. Scores will be used punitively against teachers (and eventually our children).
Unfortunately, many myths surrounding Common Core are often quoted as facts. Here is the truth:
1. Common Core standards are not rigorous. In fact, they lower the level of academic achievement by two grade levels, and prepare students for community college, not four-year schools.
2. Common Core was not state-led. States were forced to sign on under threat of punitive consequences including loss of federal funding.
3. Common Core is not internationally benchmarked or research-based and was not subject to public input.
4. Our schools will not lose funding if we don’t have 95 percent participation in the tests.
This year the test is being given to third through eleventh graders in Language Arts and Math. But they want to expand it to kindergarten, first, and second grades, and Science and Social Studies. Can you imagine a kindergartner taking a standardized test on a computer?
That brings us back to why many parents are refusing to have their children take the PARCC. It is how we tell our schools, our states, and our federal government: Common Core is not in the best interest of our children. If we don’t speak up now, when will we? At what point will it be too late? At what point do you say enough is enough? For my family, it’s now. It’s time to take back our schools.
Virginia Manzari
Princeton Junction
