Shall We?

Words are interesting.  Sometimes they clarify; sometimes they confuse.  This is particularly true when it comes to legislation dealing with education.  Since the topic of this memo is the recent Common Core legislation, I shall attempt to make it as clear as possible—with emphasis on the word “shall.”

In the past few months, several bills were presented to address Common Core State Standards.  Senate Bill 193, which was going to put a “hard pause” on the CCSS, did not pass.  To add to the confusion about these standards, however, the state legislature did pass House Bill 1427, which has the dubious and contradictory distinction of being labeled both “pro- and anti-Common Core.” 

Anti-Common Core

According to Church, Church, Hittle, and Antrim, House Bill 1427 states that the Indiana Department of Education “may not continue to implement Common Core until it receives and considers two reports.” 

1.  A legislative study committee will submit the first report, which must compare existing Indiana standards with common core standards and consider best practice in developing and adopting the standards. The study is due November 1, 2013.
2. The Office of Management and Budget will submit a second report, which will concern the implementation costs to the state and the state’s school corporations to adopt common core standards

Pro-Common Core

After receiving these reports, however, the bill goes on to say:

“[IDOE] shall implement educational standards that use the common core standards as the base model for academic standards to the extent necessary to comply with federal standards to receive a flexibility waiver under 20 U.S.C 7861.   However, higher academic standards may be adopted that supplement or supplant the common core standards. . .”

The best we can tell at this time is that we are on a soft pause (as opposed to a hard pause) until two reports are received and considered, but we shall implement the Common Core State Standards in some form or other.

Don’t Be Shall Shocked

Regardless of the clamor, confusion, and verbiage, the course we have set as a school and as a district is a good one.  We have a four-year plan to update curriculum maps and scope and sequence documents.  We will continue to work on best practice instruction that includes a heavy emphasis on improving literacy and higher-order thinking skills in all content areas.  We will continue as a school and as individuals to learn and grow along with our students.  We will continue to build on our strengths.  

In other words, we will continue our journey.

Whichever direction the winds of change blow Indiana schools, this approach shall serve us—and our students—well.

Have a great week, HSE.

Phil

A few confusing quotes:

•  I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.  --Robert McCloskey
•  I’m not confused.  I’m just well-mixed –Robert Frost
• If confusion is the first step to knowledge, I must be a genius.  –Larry Leissner