Martin Blumenthal, Republican candidate for the District 58 State House seat, expressed concerns over Common Core State Standards recently.
"I have talked to teachers about Common Core," Blumenthal said. "They do not like it since the students are very diverse in their backgrounds and learning styles. Teachers want to be able to design their own curricula. Education should be in the hands of the state and local districts -- not the federal government. The federal government withholds funds to those states that do not adopt Common Core standards. Extortion does not lend itself to a good program."
Martin Blumenthal
| Contributed photo
Common Core, adopted in 42 states, the District of Columbia, four U.S. territories and by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), lays out learning goals in math and English language arts/literacy (ELA). The intent is to ensure that all K-12 students meet specific learning goals at each grade level.
A recent study published in the educational journal Education Next showed a 62 percent decline in the number of states that participate in developing tests to complement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Illinois parents and educators are debating whether Illinois should drop out of the CCSS test development consortium.
Discussion of the benefits of a private school versus public school in Illinois include the falling productivity in public schools. The dropout rate has not decreased in spite of increases in spending and additional personnel.
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