Did you know that Massachusetts is #1 in education in our country? Did you know that Massachusetts spent $100 Billion (local and state) money to develop our Massachusetts Standards? Did you know our test scores have begun to decline – 4th grade reading had declined a half a year already in 2013?
So one must ask the question – “Why did 12 unelected people in 2010 decide, without any input from teachers, legislators, or parents, to throw out the best standards in the country and adopt the “Common Core” standards?” Just the words tell you the goal – in order to make all children common, you must raise the lowest performing states and lower the top performing states. If the goal had been to raise all states to the top, wouldn’t the states have considering adopting the Massachusetts Standards?
Instead, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education chose to participate in the unknown, untested Common Core standards, which locally allows us very little input. In November, this same Board is deciding on whether to keep MCAS or PARCC. While there was a listening tour that discussed MCAS and PARCC it was lead by Mitchell Chester, the head of this Board who is a promoting member of the Consortium for PARCC testing. PARCC testing states have dropped from 25 to 8. It has failed. Massachusetts should not join this failed program.
As I collect signatures to End Common Core and PARCC, many people thank me. They understand what is at stake. I continually hear “We hate Common Core.” Our kid’s education under Common Core is essentially part of a social experiment. Massachusetts should continue to be a leader in education.
The ballot question to End Common Core in Massachusetts strives to give all voters a choice on the educational standards we desire to see our children achieve. Many volunteers are out soliciting your signatures at EndCommonCore to repeal this race to mediocracy. Please take a few moments to sign this petition which helps place it on the ballot in November 2016.
Bonnie L. Johnson
