Lake County Gazette

The Common Core educational standards have been controversial since their inception.

Many opponents of the standards have argued that the tests do not improve learning or knowledge retention, while others have argued that the tests provide a measurement for success for school districts.

Benjamin Salzberg | Contributed photo

 

Benjamin Salzberg, Republican candidate for the District 29 State Senate seat, said the situation is complex, but stressed that teaching the basic core concepts to students is vital and should be the focus.

 

“Math concepts, science concepts, English concepts -- it’s very important that people understand the fundamentals of these basic core strategies," Salzberg told the Lake County Gazette. "Saying that…I definitely feel that it is important that teachers teach the elements needed for education – for the students to understand – not just for the test or to teach for the tests. That’s the wrong way to teach.”

 

Many states may agree with him, with a recent study indicating that between 2011 and 2016, the number of states planning to use the new Common Core-derived tests dropped from 45 to 20, a 55 percent decline.

 

Salzberg said putting the teaching focus on the tests does not serve students' best interests.

 

“I’ve seen a lot of teachers who are teaching for the test,” Salzberg said. “They need to develop a curriculum that is insightful and from which students are gaining knowledge. Then you test them on the knowledge they gained.”

 

Salzberg himself is an educator who holds a master of arts in teaching and is a state-certified teacher licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education. Thus, education is a high priority for Salzberg.

 

“We, as teachers, have to teach not only at the state level, for Common Core, but also we teach for progress of what (students) should learn to take them to the next level or into the future,” Salzberg said.

 

Salzberg also said his district is blessed with great teachers and students, but he sees teachers in other districts struggling to adapt to the changing dynamic of teaching.

 

“The teachers are not performing in the optimal way that they should as far as Common Core,” Salzberg said. “This is a problem. They are teaching for the test. You shouldn’t be teaching for the test. You should be teaching for the curriculum which the tests support, not the other way around.”

 

The curriculum is the foundation, when you are learning and getting the experience, Salzberg said.

 

“The test is just assuring that you understand the curriculum,” Salzberg said. “And so teachers in other districts I don’t cover, I’m not seeing that (type of teaching) very well. And why is that? Maybe because of the teachers' ability to teach. Or maybe they don’t understand. Or maybe the class dynamic is different, and they have to teach toward a change in the curriculum for the dynamics of the class.”

 

Salzberg said he doesn’t believe standardized tests give students their abilities or capabilities, but does believe teachers must ensure they are bringing knowledge to students.

 

“It seems like some of these teachers are lacking the abilities to teach these Common Core areas,” Salzberg said. “The reflection will be on the tests the students will take. There is a two-caveat system.

 

Salzberg doesn’t believe standardized testing can assess a student's entire knowledge base, but the tests do provide insight on how a teacher or class is doing in relation to the curriculum.

 

“They need to allow students to grow and gain their knowledge through what they are teaching,” Salzberg said. “They need to make sure that their curriculum matches with state standards. It is not a one-sentence explanation. It is a very sophisticated explanation.”

 

Salzberg said that while Common Core has its pluses and minuses, education should be focused on the children. Some learn via audio cues, some are more visual learners and some learn with their hands, Salzberg said. While there should be standards, the state has to take into consideration how a student learns in class.