It's time for a real Common Core symposium

Peter Hennessey, Ann Bedarski, Sandra Stotsky, James Milgram and the other anti-Common Core activists in attendance at PK O'Neill's symposium Tuesday night were there to stage a demonstration against the K-12 standards, which, it should be remembered, were adopted unanimously by the state board of education four years ago and enthusiastically signed off on by the Governor Gibbons.

The Nevada Department of Education officials and district teachers and administrators present were not there to second guess that decision. They had come prepared to present a first-person update on how implementation of the new standards has been progressing. But Sandra Stotsky was not about to let that happen.

Stotsky's first attempt to disrupt the meeting occurred when Dr. Steve Canavero, NDE's Deputy Superintendent of Student Achievement, introduced Aaron Grossman, a teacher-trainer from Reno who has earned a national reputation for his innovative work persuading Washoe's teachers to buy into the new standards and integrate them into the entire curriculum. Stotsky loudly complained that it had been agreed that each side would have no more than two speakers, and that if Grossman took the microphone, that was it - nobody else could speak.

Unbeknownst to the obviously under-prepared moderator, there had been no such agreement. Quite the contrary, it was clearly understood, and well publicized, that a number of front line practitioners from several counties would be speaking on behalf of Nevada's educators.

As Judy Osgood, NDE's Public Information Officer, had told the Nevada Journal, education officials considered this symposium “a unique opportunity for teachers from Reno, Fallon and Carson City to discuss how the standards are working in Nevada classrooms, and answer questions parents or lawmakers may have.” Osgood obviously wasn't there to speak, she was there to introduce the real experts: administrators and teachers who work every day where the rubber meets the road - in Nevada's schools and classrooms.

Fortunately we did get a chance to hear some of what Aaron Grossman had to say before Stotsky disrupted the rest of the meeting. That occurred when Dr. Canavero attempted to introduce Susan Keema, Associate Superintendent of the Carson City School District. She was there to introduce some of the city's teachers. To thunderous applause and catcalls from the overwhelmingly hostile audience, the moderator ruled that Dr. Canavero had already used up his allocation of two speakers, and that was that.

Things could hardly have gotten more idiotic, but to Dr. Canavero's credit he didn't just pack up and leave at that point. Also to his credit, he pointedly told Stotsky to stop trying to berate him over what and who he could and couldn't include in his presentation. As it happened, she did get away with stopping the NDE presentation in its tracks, but by then it had become abundantly clear that this audience of true believers wasn't there to learn about how Nevada's K-12 standards are working. They already had their minds made up, that Common Core is the root of all evil and must be disrupted by any means necessary. They weren't about to be confused with the facts. The meeting was over. Sine die.

So now Peter Hennessey urges readers to "use your own judgement about what happened and why: which side showed up with facts and experts, and which side brought anything and anybody but that..."

I couldn't agree more.

Anyone who still thinks that Stotsky and Milgram are bona fide "experts" who showed up with "facts" needs to take a close look at this short but well-documented critique of one of their previous presentations, in Missouri. Incidently, on Tuesday night Dr. Milgram was passing out copies of the same handout that is thoroughly debunked by Prof. Samuel Otten of the University of Missouri-Columbia, who is an actual Common Core expert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UPT075rcNA

http://web.missouri.edu/~ottensa/practices.html

And here's a similar critique from the state of New Hampshire:

http://anhpe.org/2013/11/10/a-closer-look-at-sandra-stotskys-critique-of...

Last but not least, here's a superb documentary about how and why Aaron Grossman and his colleagues in Washoe were won over by what Aaron calls our "jackpot standards." It's a bit long, but it's well worth your while to read it all the way to the bottom, especially if you were part of the small minority of Tuesday night's attendees who actually came to learn what teachers and students think of the changes they are currently working their way through. It's a real eye opener.

http://www.americanradioworks.org/segments/teachers-embrace-the-common-c...

I look forward to seeing Mr. Grossman again at a real symposium about the incredible work he and other great teachers are doing to prepare their students for life in the real world of work and higher education. We're very lucky to have them here, notwithstanding the disrespect and disparagement they are subjected to on a regular basis. Next time you meet a teacher, please, thank them for their service. They richly deserve it.

Rich Dunn
Carson City