The New York State Education Department has been aggressive with its reform agenda over the last year, including a new teacher evaluation system (APPR) and implementing the Common Core. The process of adopting the Common Core has been pushed forward at lightspeed giving educators a feeling of helplessness. Last spring’s state assessments were Common Core aligned so teachers and local administrators were left scrambling to prepare their students for this new curriculum.
Educators had few options as the state assessments loomed in the spring to align instruction with the Common Core. Many districts decided to purchase corporate produced *Common Core workbooks to meet their desperate need for curriculum materials. As the modules were slowly released on the EngageNY website, districts and teachers started to look at the materials provided piecemeal by the state with a critical eye. Some schools decided to use the modules “as is” since time was limited. Others pulled teachers from their classrooms for “on the fly” training and curriculum writing, possibly adjusting the modules. The options were limited, especially in an era of limited financial resources. Buying workbooks or sending teachers for training is expensive. Would it be easier to just print the curriculum modules from the engageNY website?
Some districts, schools, or individual teachers may look to adopt the curriculum modules exactly as presented or with minor adjustments. I hope educators and the parents in their schools take a close look at what I consider to be a “scripted curriculum” that will limit teacher creativity and standardize our children’s education.
I have had a few twitter debates with Common Core advocates about these curriculum modules, including questioning the content, age appropriateness, and scripted nature of the unit plans. Some of the defenders of these units claim the modules are just “scaffolding” to help students and teachers work from the ground up on difficult material. I will let you decide.
Here is part of a First Grade math unit:
Want to see more examples? Visit the EngageNY website
(next conversation: age appropriateness of content & vocabulary?)
So do educators have a choice? I guess it would depend on the policies of the local districts. I worry that schools may decide to adopt these modules based on financial considerations and concern about preparing students for the content of state assessments. Overhauling a curriculum is an expensive and time-consuming task. The rush to push forward with the Common Core is a major concern I have as an educator and a parent. What will be the impact on a generation of children as we completely change their education without careful discussion and thought?
NYSED contracted with three vendors to produce Common Core Curricula at the a cost of ($12.9 million). “Teachers will be able to follow or build on the curricular materials produced by these three vendors.” states the press release. Does this imply that the content of the modules and our curriculum has been created by three vendors and not the educators of New York? Not surprising as educators are no longer treated as professionals in this era of Corporate Education reform. Let us teach and let us create.
An overview of the EngageNY modules.
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*some examples from corporate made Common Core workbooks: